Executives with expertise in fast-growing technologies are in high-demand, but it takes more than technical skills to lead a team and bring products to market. In this post, 30+ year executive recruiter, Dean Madison, explains the traits and abilities that companies look for when hiring an IT executive.

The tech economy is booming, unemployment is low, and technology experts with leadership skills are in strong demand. As new technologies like 5G, Internet of Things, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) enter the market, technology companies are eager to find executives who can lead teams effectively as they shape the markets, products, and services of the future.

But raw technical ability isn’t enough. Leading a company or team to success in an industry dependent on technology requires technical expertise, but it also requires soft skills and strategic ability.

It is the role of recruiters and executive search professionals to surface candidates who tick all of these boxes. As an executive recruiter specializing in the cable and broadband industry for over thirty years, I have taken the lead on executive searches for businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

In this article, I’m going to discuss some of the qualities I look for above and beyond technical expertise when advising clients on high-level executive hires.

Aggregate posts from the leading job boards indicate the best programming languages to land a job in 2013.

With IT budgets at a five-year high, progressive organizations are developing new software systems and applications to boost performance, reduce costs and expand their reach across a fast-growing digital marketplace. The resulting increase in programming and development projects has placed computer programmers among this year's most sought-after professionals (IT or otherwise). 

CIO.com, a leading resource for IT executives, along with job board aggregator, Indeed.com, analyzed programming and development job offers across the top job boards to determine this year’s hottest programming languages. We built on this top-notch analysis to identify some of the key factors driving workforce demand for each language.

Here are the most marketable programming languages in 2013:

Blockchain, the distributed ledger supporting bitcoin, is finding its way into an increasing number of domains. Here's an intro to this exciting new technology along with tips on getting started in a blockchain development career.

Along with other technology trends like Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality, blockchain has become a buzzword in Silicon Valley and beyond. Blockchain is the distributed ledger that powers bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Now it’s proving its potential in other fields including the Internet of Things, supply chains, finance and entertainment

Tech giants such as IBM and Microsoft are starting to invest in blockchain and plan to incorporate its features and innovations into their businesses. Experts believe that blockchain will be a defining factor in the future of the Internet and online business.

Consequently, knowledge of blockchain use cases and development can help your business in the long run, and your career as a technology expert and software developer. Here's what you need to know about getting started with blockchain development.

Debunking the well perpetrated myth of the elusive "startup," we show how you can score that dream job at a buzzing new tech venture.

There is no denying the fact that up and coming tech companies, a.k.a. startups are all the rage. The massive payout that comes with a well timed exit coupled with the unconstrained atmosphere where anything is possible have served well to reinforce the myth of the next gold rush. The web is crawling with stories of the next 20-something college grad launching a hot new product that takes the world by storm.

As captivating as that notion is, the reality is that most viable startups function much like a large established organization, except that all processes are scaled down. There isn't nearly as much Red Bull fueled all-night coding frenzies as the media would have you believe. The truth is that the vast majority of the proverbial tech founders are well above 20 years of age. A well documented fact often skewed by outsiders is that the average age of founders in new technology ventures is 40 years old. Aside from that, companies initiated by older entrepreneurs statistically end up having a higher success rate, measured by the number of so called exits - acquisitions, mergers and IPOs.

If your goal for the new year is to secure a well paying job, give meaning to your work, take on healthy challenge and responsibility, rapidly prototype solutions that have a real time impact, and reap potential rewards once the company matures, you should think about joining a tech startup. Just make sure you stick around long enough to vest.

Here are some tips to land your dream job at a hot technology startup:

In Part 1 of this post - Personal Branding Part 1: How to Define Yours - we told you why it’s important to have a personal brand, and how you can define your own. This week, we are going to talk about marketing your brand. There are a lot of ways to promote your personal brand, all of which fall into two categories: Online and Off.

Are you a new or established IT pro looking for work? Like me, do you wonder about the corporate culture and employee perks at Silicon Valley tech giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? What about hot startups like Eventbrite, Gaia and Tagged?

Silicon Valley's best and brightest believe that enhanced convenience and a better quality of life for employees has a significant positive impact on productivity, time spent at work, and the all mighty bottom-line. Perks include in-house spas & fitness centers, catered gourmet meals and happy hour, world-class pension and vacation packages, guest lectures from renowned experts and more.

View "Employee Perks in Silicon Valley" Infographic

Check out this infographic for a stunning visual representation of employee perks at some of the best and brightest tech organizations and up-and-coming social media startups in the Valley.

Infographic courtesy of ResumeBear.

In a tough job market, it pays to be strategic, and to look for positions in industries with the best opportunities for career growth and upward mobility. ITCareerFinder examined tech job growth rates from the leading unbiased employment sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to identify the fastest growing IT careers for 2012 and beyond.

Here are the top five fastest growing IT career paths:

It's hard to deny the fact that "big data" is a ubiquitous buzzword today, and every now and again someone suggests that it's just a passing fad. The fact of the matter is that, while this trend may be experiencing some hype now and will likely eventually plateau (in the distant future), it's going to be a major player from here on in no matter how you slice it. This is because the insight brought forth from analyses of vast quantities of relevant data eliminates assumption and guesswork from the business decision-making process. In large businesses especially, this directly equates to mitigated risk, colossal savings and accelerated growth.

Data from the staffing industry indicates that people aren't just talking about big data; medium and large businesses are spending a great deal on — and exhibiting a lot of interest in — the scouting and hiring of data scientists and developers in the big data space.

The demand speaks for itself: for every one developer looking for a job in big data there are 3.6 job postings available in the United States. Additionally, as of 2014, developers who work with big data languages are the highest paid in the space. R, the statistical analysis programming language tops the list with an average salary over $115,000. Other languages and frameworks designed for dealing with large data sets, such as NOSQL, Apache Hadoop and MapReduce, boast six-figure salaries as well.

Even small businesses reap benefits from big data: although they don't often have the need to substantiate hiring in-house big data developers, they gain an advantage through externally managed analytical dashboards that help them visualize data and spot trends that can influence smarter businesses decisions.

The bottom line is that big data isn't simply an over-hyped term in the tech space and business world. The infatuation with big data is supported with fiscal interest in this new field because of the marked difference it's already making for SMBs and enterprises, and the vast potential it has to impact the way do business going forward. Take a look this infographic to see some of these trends visualized: