If you’ve been searching for an IT job for a while, you may have started to look more seriously at staffing agencies.  But there is still quite a bit of confusion in the marketplace about the differences between staffing agencies and specialized recruiters.  When long-time job seekers start working with recruiters, it’s important that they understand the way these companies interact with their clients.  Are they truly a placement firm or headhunter for employers or are they filling temporary contract positions?

Have you put your IT career search on hold due to a lackluster job market?  Well, according to recruitment leaders from Robert Half Technology, the Dallas IT job market is now “full speed ahead.” Job seekers may not see the same immediate potential as they did during the dot-com boom, but the long term prospects look bright for the high-tech job market.

Here are the five trends that have been the catalyst for improved prospects in the IT job market, whether in Dallas or across the country:

For those that have been in the job market for several months, hearing that thousands of newly minted college graduates are also looking is not good news.  But if you’re one of those college graduates looking for technical jobs this year, there are plenty of opportunities in the IT sector.

Mobile applications developers and data mining experts are at the top of the list of jobs with real potential this year, according to a Robert Half International study.  Also included on this list are the perennial favorites “engineer” and “computer scientist.”  Simply put, if there was an app for finding the most promising IT careers in 2012, it would certainly include these careers, many of which command a high starting salary.

It seems like the technology job market in the United States is in a constant state of flux; one year there are too many job seekers and not enough open positions, and the next year IT staffing companies cannot find enough qualified candidates.  One reason for this is the rapid advancement in technology.  Nearly every industry is now reliant on some form of information technology, whether it is a database, a shopping cart, a newsfeed or an Intranet.  Manufacturers are using robotics controlled by sophisticated software and doctors are using electronic medical records. Terms like “cloud computing” are so hot, they have earned their way into the American vernacular.  Candidates with the right skill sets are in high demand once again, and as a result organizations are finding it harder to retain the best talent.

Sick of hearing about the “tepid recovery” in the job market and the housing market while watching gas prices rise and Wall Street bankers get richer?  At this speed, a true recovery will take several years to take hold.  Perhaps you’ve also heard that Dallas technology jobs are just as hot as ever but you haven’t yet experienced your own personal “job recovery?”

According to the latest search trends from the online job board, Indeed.com, you are not alone.  As of March 2012, job postings in the Information Technology category were down 5 percent since March 2011, but during the same period the number of clicks on IT job postings went up 9 percent.  This indicates that more people are searching for fewer technology postings.

It used to be that technical careers were reserved for those with engineering degrees or people with degrees from MIT, but not anymore.  The products and services provided by information technology are now a part of our everyday lives; whether a network that automates financial transactions or the operating system on your mobile phone.  As individuals and businesses rely more heavily on technology, technical careers are expected to grow significantly over the next decade.

One of the biggest concerns among IT professionals is an increasingly competitive job market.  As more freshly minted computer science graduates hit the streets later this spring, it will become even more complicated to land a job; that is unless you work with a Dallas technical staffing company.  Even if the staffing agency doesn’t have a job that perfectly matches your resume; chances are you will find a temp-to-perm position that could get you “in the door” at a major Dallas employer.

Despite the fear that many American companies are seeking tech-savvy employees overseas, there seems to be an abundance of IT jobs right here in America.  In fact, rapid technology growth is one of the five biggest trends impacting today’s job market.  The question is; do you have the skills to break into these industries?

In today’s competitive job market, it’s easy to believe you will never land your dream job.  In fact, most recent college grads seeking technical jobs would be satisfied with almost any position at a major technology company.  But what if those jobs continue to elude you even after months or years go by?  Is there a way to get a foot in the door without knocking it down?

Have you been seeking that perfect IT position for a long time?  It’s not easy to remain positive when the best Dallas IT jobs are all taken.  But don’t lose heart.  With a degree in a relevant information technology field plus a few years of experience in the industry, you should become a lot more marketable, but that’s not the only tool you need for success.  Dallas IT jobs are easy to find when you know where to look.