Atlanta Job Market – Linux, FLOSS LAMP and More !!! Ari Waller, Thompson Technologies

Created with the help of...

20 Years of Linux !!!

Discussion Topics ● Linux, LAMP, FLOSS Employment Trends ● Organization Of Your Job Search ● Working with a Technical Recruiter / Agency ● How can recruiters be more effective for the “Linux Enthusiast” and the Open Source Technology Community? ● Q & A – Interviews, Rates / Salaries, ect...

Ari Waller's Open Source Story / Perspective... ● I am a “Recruiting Enthusiast” - Talented People is our Product ! ● I have been with Thompson Technologies since August 1996 (5 years from the month of Linus's post) ● “I Tried to sell David Thompson a watch and got a job in the basement” - My start up story ● Rise of the internet technologies ● Y2K ● Dot Com Bust!

Ari Waller's (Cont.) One Recruiters Perspective... ● My first Perl (CGI) placement was made in 1997 at Cox ● In 2002 the first PHP candidates I placed had to be relocated to Atlanta since there were few located in Atlanta. ● Over the next 5-7 years, in the Technical Recruiting world, it became clear that Linux and Open Source Technologies were here to stay. ●

One Recruiter's Perspective (cont) ● Year over year, the demand for talented Linux Engineers and Open Source Technologists has been rising. ● We only see the demand increasing, and not decreasing... ● We are seeing growth opportunities not only in general Linux and Open Source skill sets, but in Open Source based Software Packages as well (ie...SugarCRM, Drupal, Alfresco)

Current Job Trends: Linux on a National Level? ● According to Dice.com, demand for Linux expertise is growing! In 2010, the number of postings that included Linux skills grew by 47% on Dice (Windows Jobs increased by 40%). ● Linux professionals tend to earn 10% more than the average IT Employee. In particular, those skilled in Red Hat and Novell’s SUSE Linux platform received an average salary of $87,000 a year compared to $79,000 for IT workers overall. ● including-amazon-ibm-and-dell/

April 2011 Dice Report

Atlanta IT Market ● Between November 2009 and October 2010, there was a 55% increase in IT Postings in a job market where there is 10% unemployment.

Atlanta Open Source Jobs on Dice 4/20/ Total IT Jobs on Dice in Atlanta Linux 310 Jobs PHP 84 Jobs Ruby on Rails 45 Jobs Jboss 65 Jobs Drupal 16 Jobs MySQL 92 Jobs Perl 146 Jobs

Because of the DEMAND we are seeing some “interesting” Client Requirements. – “I need a C# Developer who also is very strong in PHP.” – “I need an Oracle DBA who is willing to learn MySQL.” – “I want to build a Ruby based eCommerce Solution, I'll train a strong Java Developer!” – “I want a PHP Developer, and I am willing to train a Java Engineer if they desire to learn it.”

Dealing with Demand !!! ● Many of you can probably recall the time when you realized that the skills you possessed were so high in demand (probably the first time you posted a resume on the web).Your phone is ringing all day, (night and weekend) and it's another recruiter trying to call your cell. ● Your inbox is filled with opportunities, and you see that only 10% of them are really relevant to what you do. ● How you communicate with those you encounter who “want your skills” is extremely important from a career standpoint, so let's switch gears and discuss this.

Organizing Your Job Search ● Networking with your peers (Like you are tonight) ● Ensure you have an updated resume that speaks in detail about your skill set (even if you are not looking) – Should you post it? ● Use LinkedIn – make sure your profile is complete and up to date. Have you asked for recommendation? ● Prepare professional references for when you do need them

“Ari must think I should always use an Technical Recruiter to find a job” Not True! Let's look at some of the Benefits and potential drawback.

Technical Recruiting Agencies Benefits ● Direct relationships with companies and managers – especially for contract roles ● Sometimes exclusive IT opportunities ● If you are a match for the job, they are motivated to get you the offer ● Many have a good understanding of the local market, and some focus on specific skill sets ● General career advise

Technical Recruiting Agencies Potential Drawbacks ● “My network in the Linux community has always been the most valuable resource” ● Too many recruiters calling me about the same jobs ● Potential double submission of my resume ● “They don't get what I do” ● Others ???

“How can we serve you!” ● How can recruiters be more effective for the “Linux Enthusiast” and the Open Source Technology Community?

Q&A and Thank You!