Demand Up For Cloud, Security Pros

Looking to fine-tune your IT skills and certifications in the new year? This month's issue of the Dice Report provides some clues on what IT skills are particularly hot this year, with demand for some skill sets up more than twice the market rate.

Cloud computing skills top the list, Dice found, with job postings up 294 percent over last year. The boom in cloud-based applications also is one factor that is likely driving demand for other skills, such as JavaScript, which had a 98 percent increase in job postings, and HTML, which had 85 percent growth, Dice found.

Information security also is a promising career field, with job postings up 109 percent over last year, Dice found. Employers frequently look for information security candidates who have earned the Certified Information Systems Security Professional credential, which requires candidates to have at least five years of experience to qualify.

Demand is also up over last year for other skills, such as VMWare experience (92 percent), IT infrastructure library (89 percent), SAP (87 percent), PeopleSoft (98 percent) and telecommunications (97 percent).

The top metro areas for technology remain Washington, New York/New Jersey and Silicon Valley.