The Recruiter

One more reason to pack the moving truck

Forbes just released its annual “Best Cities for Jobs” list, and it turns out five of the tech-friendly cities featured in the Yoh Crystal Ball Series also landed in Forbes' Top Ten.

Atlanta (#4), Indianapolis (#6), Houston (#7), Seattle (#10) and Raleigh (Research Triangle Park area, #9) continue to make headlines as locations with strong job opportunities and high quality of life. The Forbes index is based on the state's unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living for full-year 2006.

This all means your chances of landing a good tech gig AND enjoying your new neighborhood are much higher when you move to one of these towns. Check out the full list to see what makes these places so special, and find the one that's right for you.

Posted by Anna M.

Crystal Ball Series pt. 4: The final chapter

All good things might come to an end, but at least they don’t have to go quietly. That’s why we’re ending our Crystal Ball Series in the Southeast, a region known for hot temperatures and hotter tech opportunities.

No wonder, considering this part of the country is home to the nation’s largest research park, second largest financial center and the ninth largest metro area. Let’s look at them more closely through our Crystal Ball:

Research Triangle Park

Charlotte

Atlanta

Thanks for following our series around the country! We hope you gleaned helpful insights about what jobs and skills are available across the U.S., and are thinking more deeply about your own employment future. Good luck!

Posted by Jim L.

Crystal Ball Series pt. 3: Across the country

Surprise! Life does exist between Los Angeles and New York ;-). And while our next four areas aren’t in exactly one region, they just go to show there are plenty of tech opportunities for savvy IT pros anywhere in the U.S.

The secret is knowing where to look. And we can help you look around by looking ahead. Crystal Ball, show us what’s happening in 2008 for these tech hot spots:

Northern N.J.

Philadelphia

Cleveland

Indianapolis

Our Crystal Ball Series will wrap up on Thursday with the Southeast, so come on down for the final installment. See you then!

Crystal Ball Series pt. 2: West Coast roundup

It truly is the Wild West when it comes to our next four IT markets. Anchored by Silicon Valley, these locations make up our country’s most famous tech corridor, and are renowned for their wealth of talent and innovation.

So what do these IT hotbeds hold in store for you in 2008? Let’s consult our handy crystal ball:

Portland

Seattle

Silicon Valley

Southern California

We’ll swing over to the Midwest and East Coast next Monday, so make sure to stop by for another look-see.

Posted by Jim L.

The Crystal Ball Series gets rollin’

We like to dabble in divination on The Recruiter. But I don’t mean tea leaves, tarot cards or astrology. I’m talking about educated predictions based on solid, real-time demand from customers, and experiences of IT workers and recruiters in the field.

That’s why we’re ringing in the 2008 job market with our first-ever Crystal Ball Series, a four-part forecast of the hottest jobs and skills for the coming year. It’s grounded in our analysis of Yoh’s research during 2007, and will ultimately cover 15 markets and over 40 skill sets.

Plus, you’ll get to hear these prophecies in my own voice, thanks to our on-the-go podcast snippets. And remember, you can agree, disagree, elaborate, pontificate or otherwise sound off about these outlooks at any point in the comments section.

Let’s kick off the clairvoyance by gazing into our first four markets:

Dallas

Houston

Phoenix

St. Louis

Check back later this week for our West Coast roundup!

Posted by Jim L.