Hot IT jobs: what are they?

Field engineers topped the most in-demand IT positions in Australia, according to a recent job index.

The job index, carried out by recruitment firm Candle Australia, found that field engineers were the most sought after skillset, followed by program managers and then operators. Project managers and business analysts also made it into the top five.

Emma Stonham, marketing manager at Candle Australia, told iTnews that at the moment there were businesses starting up new projects that had been on hold from a few year's ago.

Stonham said that, to resource these projects, employers were looking at job categories such as engineers and program managers. ERP and SAP were also skillsets that were in demand, she said.

She anticipated Q1 2004 to be "much of the same", with the top 10 most sought after jobs by employers remaining similar to what they were at the moment.

Stonham also warned potential candidates that skillsets now had to be more transferable, compared with a couple of year's ago. "[Candidates] have to have business acumen, deal with budgets, and may need to speak with the board," she said. "So I know a lot of candidates who are upskilling as well".

Field engineers, program managers and operators had been in demand over the last quarter, according to a statement issued by the firm.