IEEE Spectrum September, 2011 - 28

where the
JoBs are:
software
engineering

mobile apps and
cloud computing
are driving demand
for new engineering
grads

T

he worst of the
recession is behind
us. While the job
outlook for electrical and
computer engineers was not
dire last year, the uptick in
the economy brings even
happier tidings for the class
of 2011. Everyone-from
Microsoft and Google to
small start-ups-seems
to be looking for talented
programmers and developers.
Grads with software
skills have particularly bright
prospects. We can credit the
proliferation of social media
and new devices, says Forrest
Shull, a senior scientist at
the Fraunhofer Center for
Experimental Software
Engineering, one of several
U.S. arms of the giant German
research organization.
"Over the last two years
or so, cloud computing
and mobile applications
are the two paradigms that
have increased demand
for software engineers,"
says Shull. "We really like
walking around everywhere
now with our smartphones,
tablets, and other gadgets."
A December 2010 report
by the London-based Centre
for Economics and Business
Research estimated that
cloud computing could add
2.4 million jobs in Europe's
28

biggest economies by 2015.
As another hopeful sign,
recruiters are back on campus
this year. Scott Midkiff, head
of the electrical and computer
engineering department at
Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg,
says they "are reappearing
with significant hiring goals,"
particularly in the areas of
defense, energy, consulting,
banking and finance,
and computing. Notable
as well is the increased
presence of information and
communications technology
companies, which had
drastically reduced their
hiring after the telecom
and dot-com busts.
Beverly Principal, assistant director of employment
services at Stanford, is seeing
the same thing. "On-campus
recruiting was higher this
year, especially for students
focused in computer science,
hardware, software, and
programming," she says.
The National Association
of Colleges and Employers,
in Bethlehem, Pa., expects
hiring of new grads to be up
19 percent. Computer science,
electrical engineering, and
computer engineering are

NA * iEEE SpEctrum * SEptEmbEr 2011

of which will be for software
engineers. However, talented
engineers of all stripes
are wanted, says Facebook
representative Slater Tow.
"We're primarily looking
for what people have done,
what they've built. This is
more important to us than
just academic credentials."
Tech bigwigs such as Dell,
Hewlett-Packard, Lockheed
Martin, and Microsoft are
also hiring, as are smaller
companies, including Agilent,
Altera, Analog Devices,
and Applied Materials.
among the top 10 degrees on
Many new jobs
employers' most-wanted lists.
are overseas, even as
Those three degrees are also
powerhouse manufacturers
in the top five of the associaNokia and Panasonic cut
tion's list of the 10 top-paid
thousands of jobs. Google is
degrees-a list that consists
planning to make more than
entirely of technology majors.
1000 new hires in Europe,
Of the three, computer
at least half of which will
science grads are making
require engineering and
the most-slightly more than
computer science credentials,
US $63 000 on average. While
and the company is posting
overall offers to engineering
hundreds of jobs across the
grads have stayed roughly
Asia-Pacific region. Siemens
the same as last year,
and Microsoft are recruiting
EEs saw the biggest jump
in Europe, while Microsoft
(4.4 percent) to reach $61 690.
is hiring in the Asia-Pacific
Software engineering, a
(mainly China, India,
field that has been strong
Malaysia, and Singapore),
for a while, was voted the
looking particularly for
best job for 2011 by career
guidance website CareerCast. cloud technology skills.
Software and IT jobs remain
Software engineers earned
plentiful in India and China.
the most after chemical
In the United States,
engineers in 2009, according
entrepreneurship has been
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
on an upswing since the
Statistics. They are also
current recession began.
some of the most employed-
Kerri Boivin, director of the
their unemployment rate
engineering career resource
was 4.6 percent compared
center at the University of
with 5.4 for EEs in 2010.
Michigan, in Ann Arbor, says,
Four social networking
"We are seeing more students
companies-Facebook,
becoming entrepreneurs
Google, Twitter, and online
[and] have seen a significant
gaming company Zynga-
are expected to create around increase in start-ups
posting jobs." -Prachi Patel
10 000 jobs, a good portion
spectrum.ieee.org

david paul morris/bloomberg/getty images

careers
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum September, 2011
