HTML5, Ajax, CSS3 emerge and skill-sets expand

In the last few months we have seen a marked shift in the number of clients requesting cutting edge programming languages like HTML5, Ajax and CSS3. This is great news for candidates but how many can capitalise on this burgeoning area?

Why the shift?

One reason for the shift could be attributed to business becoming excited by the potential of improved user experience that new programming languages can offer and the growth of Android handsets - the latest stats released by Google estimate an average of 200,000 new Android devices are currently being registered every day.

Currently, there is a huge shortage of developers who have experience with this new software - only 3% reference experience on their CV. This situation is mirrored when looking at HTML5 and CSS3 programmers - only 2% of candidates have experience in these languages.

The above trends mean that Android developers and HTML5, CSS3 programmers are in a great position when looking for work. However, the same cannot be said for traditional skill sets.

Where do I stand if I don’t know HTML5, CSS3…?

Currently 85% of our candidates have experience applying HTML and can expect to compete against over 20 developers for every role. Invariably this illustrates how saturated the market currently is. We have also seen a growing number of candidates being turned away, at the screening stage, if the have no JavaScript & JQuery experience.

So, what can developers do to stay fresh? Take a look and the areas that we think are hot along with our advice on how to tap into them…

Facebook Developer Jobs
Farmville anyone? Social gaming is only getting bigger and our clients are snapping up Facebook developers as fast as we can supply them. Problem is, from our developer database, not even 1% have the necessary skills.
 
Get the skills: Get to grips with the Facebook API and FBML (Facebook Markup Language) and you’re on your way.
 
Front-end developer Jobs
If you’re not up with JavaScript, you need to be. 
 
Get the skills: Make sure you can hand code in JavaScript without the use of libraries such as jQuery.  Also, start looking at HTML5 / CSS3. This could have a huge impact on the web, possibly overtaking Flash for popularity. Check out YouTube on the Google Chrome browser – they’re already trialling HTML5.
 
Creative Developer Jobs
Got an eye for great design? Understand the user experience? Like I said earlier, our clients want talent that can deliver more for their money. Developers that understand both form and function are always going to get the edge over standard coders. 
 
Get the skills: Get on some short design courses, talk to colleagues in design jobs, check out great websites (Adobe’s site of the day is a good place to start) - and get creative! Develop some mock ups or take a look at your previous projects and see where you can improve on usability and design.
 
Having a good portfolio is absolutely key, so be sure to include live and up-to date work and include a secure area to upload sample code where potential employers can see your handiwork.

So there you have it. Get skilled up and cash in.

Photo (cc) Jeremy Keith. He has a book out: HTML5 for Web Designers.