8 hot IT skills for 2014

8 hot IT skills for 2014
Help desk staffers are coveted, but developers are the hottest commodity of all.

When it comes to overall job prospects for IT professionals, 2014 will look a lot like this year, with 32% of companies expecting to increase head count in their IT shops, compared with 33% in 2013, according to Computerworld's annual Forecast survey.

But while demand will remain steady overall, there have been a few changes in the skill sets most desired by hiring managers. Unemployment "is probably close to zero for people with high-demand skill sets," says Michael Kirven, founder and CEO of Mondo, a technology resource provider. Employers in search of top skills, he says, need to be prepared to move fast. "If you want them, you can be 100% sure there are at least two other firms that want them, as well," he says.
New hiresWhat changes do you expect in your IT employee head count in the next 12 months?IncreaseDecreaseRemain the same20102011201220132014Year010203040506070Percent
Data from 2014 Forecast Survey (Base: 221; June 2013), 2013 Survey, 2012 Survey, 2011 Survey and 2010 Survey. Mouse over graph to get data details; click on items in chart key to turn them on and off.

Here's a look at the IT skills that will be in demand next year, according to companies with plans to hire IT professionals in 2014.
1. Programming/application development

• 49% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 1

As it did in the 2013 Forecast survey, programming/application development tops the list of hot skills, although just under half of the 221 respondents said they will hire in this area, compared with 60% last year. Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, parent of IT jobs website Dice.com, concurs that software developers are the most sought-after technology workers and notes that they enjoy one of the lowest unemployment rates around -- just 1.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's no wonder, then, that respondents to the Computerworld 2014 Forecast survey named developer and programmer job openings as the most difficult to fill. The hottest specialties within that category, Melland says, are mobile development expertise and experience building secure applications.

Carbonite, an online backup service provider, expects to find a tight market for software developers and engineers as it shifts its business model to focus on the needs of small businesses, says Randy Bogue, vice president of talent at the Boston-based company. "While there are a lot of experienced software developers in the Boston area, there are just as many technology companies looking to hire them," he says. "We find this while looking for front-end developers, user experience engineers, mobile developers and pretty much any other software development position."

Lucille Mayer, CIO at BNY Mellon, also expects to have difficulty finding developers. The financial services company has several hundred openings, mainly in New York City and Pittsburgh, and about 40% of those are in development. Another 30% are in infrastructure, 20% are for business analysis/project management positions, and 10% are in management.

"Demand is high for skilled developers with three to five years' experience and a service delivery orientation," says Mayer, who is particularly interested in people with object-oriented development experience. Also important is finding people from diverse backgrounds, with diverse ideas and perspectives, she says.

Hospitality giant Hyatt is transitioning from a reliance on third-party service providers and aims to bring more development talent in-house. "We're looking to hire people who embrace agility and speed to move ideas to prototype and production quickly," says Alex Zoghlin, Hyatt's global head of technology.
2. Help desk/technical support

• 37% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 3

Help desk/tech support remained near the top of the list, moving up from No. 3 last year. Melland says that's an encouraging sign for the economy and the overall hiring outlook. "Organizations mainly add help desk and tech support when they're adding workers and expanding their technology infrastructure," he says. Also contributing to demand for support technicians is the fact that many companies are bringing the help desk back in-house after outsourcing that function; that's partly a response to the proliferation of mobile devices and company-provided Web services. Because of the complexity of such setups, "it's important for support staff to really understand what the company is doing, which argues for having this function closer to home," Melland says.

After several years of running a lean support function, Wolverine Advanced Materials in Dearborn, Mich., plans to hire a few help desk staffers in response to business growth and a decision to provide ITIL-based service management, says James Bland, network manager at the automotive materials supplier. "There is growth in the company, so we're more confident in hiring," he says.
3. Networking

• 31% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 8

Demand for networking skills jumped to No. 3 from eighth place last year. This correlates with the results of a recent survey by IT hiring firm Robert Half Technology, in which 55% of the respondents named network administration as the skill set most in demand, along with database management.
If you expect your IT employee head count to increase, for which types of skills will you be hiring in the next 12 months?

The need for wireless connectivity is probably behind the interest in networking professionals, Melland says. "Demand for people with wireless networking experience is up 9% year over year," he says, and the unemployment rate for network and systems administrators is 1.1%.

Charles Whitby, lead network analyst at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, says growing use of wireless medical devices is definitely fueling his workload. In addition to the increased network traffic they produce, those devices require a lot of troubleshooting -- as is the case when, for example, their firmware needs upgrading but it hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, he says.

Meanwhile, at Wolverine, Bland is looking to offload some networking responsibilities so he can concentrate on more strategic issues.

4. Mobile applications and device management

• 27% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 9

With mobile devices proliferating in both the corporate and consumer worlds, it's little wonder that mobile skills catapulted toward the top of the list, from No. 9 last year. And because of mobile's relatively new status, it's also not surprising that Computerworld survey respondents named mobile expertise the third most difficult skill to find, after development and BI/analytics skills.
Which of these skills do you expect it will be most difficult to hire for?


Mobile app development is "a huge initiative" at PrimeLending in Dallas, says CIO Tim Elkins, and it will be a key hiring area next year. In addition to expanding its Salesforce.com development ranks, the mortgage provider hopes to hire two or three mobile developers, he says. PrimeLending's first mobile app is designed to enable its business partners -- real estate agents and builders -- to view loan statuses; its next one will be for consumers.

Elkins anticipates difficulty finding mobile developers and is therefore training a couple of current staffers to fill the need. "Salesforce.com developers are really tough to find because of the high demand, and so are mobile developers," he says.
Special Report

Mobile expertise is also a priority for Hyatt, and Zoghlin says the company is trying to fill niche roles to ensure a consistent strategy across areas like mobility and user experience.
5. Project Management

• 25% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 2

While project management fell from its No. 2 position last year, it is considered a highly sought-after skill. Melland says that Dice has found demand for project managers to be second only to demand for software developers/engineers, having risen 11% from last year. That uptick, he says, is another positive sign for the economy as a whole, because it indicates that companies are willing to pursue strategic projects.

Mondo's Kirven attributes the demand for project managers to renewed interest in complex, strategic business-technology initiatives. "IT has historically been graded based on the success or failure of projects, so [companies are] making heavy investments in the business analyst/project manager layer," he says. "These people need to be able to talk to developers about technology and the right solution, but they also need to put on their business hat to gather requirements and prioritize needs and translate that into a programmable effort for IT."

6. Database Administration

• 24% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: Not ranked

Database administration -- which didn't even make last year's list -- will be hot in 2014, likely because of interest in big data. Kirven concedes that the term big data is a catch-all for everything companies want to do with the burgeoning stockpiles of information they store on internal systems and, increasingly, collect from sources such as social media sites, the Web and third parties. Much of the interest in big data originates in marketing, which wants to learn as much about customers as possible.

"Oracle DBAs, data architects -- these people stay on the market for about an hour until they're hired," Kirven says. "People are looking for that person who can build a logical data map of their systems and aggregate relevant data so they can analyze and report on it."

DBAs with experience moving pieces of the IT infrastructure to the cloud will be highly sought after, says Melland, noting that demand for cloud skills is up 32% from last year.
Special Report

To help kick off PrimeLending's big data initiative, Elkins says he is seeking systems analysts, developers and DBAs to integrate data from third parties, with the goal of easing the mortgage process. "Mortgages have been like a big black hole, with a lack of transparency and a lot of sitting and waiting," Elkins says. "Our focus in 2014 is to give consumers more control and an experience with mortgages that they've never had before."
7. Security Compliance/Governance

• 21% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 4

Security expertise seems to show up on every list of hot IT skills, and Melland says interest in cybersecurity will further drive demand, which is up 23% from last year. "It's one of those skills that falls into a lot of job types, like network engineering, software development and database architecture," he says. Respondents to a recent Robert Half Technology survey said security jobs are among the most challenging to fill, in addition to application development and database management positions.

With the increase in malware and cyberattacks, security has become a No. 1 priority for PrimeLending, which doubled its security staff this year, from four to eight people, Elkins says.
8. Business Intelligence/Analytics

• 18% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 5

With the volume of global data predicted to expand by a factor of 44 from 2009 to 2020 and reach 35.2 zettabytes, according to IDC, companies are eager to gain a competitive edge by developing sophisticated analytics capabilities. Although BI/analytics is still considered a specialty and therefore has fewer postings than other job categories on Dice.com, Melland says it's the third fastest-growing skill area on the website, and demand is up 100% from last year. Analytics expertise is scarce, ranking second among the most difficult skills to find in the Computerworld survey. Accordingly, these professionals command high salaries, often into the six figures, Melland says.

At Wolverine, management's demand for data-driven insights is growing, so Bland is looking for people with BI skills who are also familiar with the Plex Systems ERP application, which the company uses. "We would definitely like to get more information out of [our ERP] system, so someone with BI experience would be great," he says. "We'd like to provide more information in a more timely manner so the business can be more proactive." Hyatt, says Zoghlin, is similarly looking for people "who can make analytics usable and useful for customers and colleagues."

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Social Engineering: The Basics

What is social engineering? What are the most common and current tactics? A guide on how to stop social engineering.

You've got all the bells and whistles when it comes to network firewalls and your building's security has a state-of-the-art access system. You've invested in the technology. But a social engineering attack could bypass all those defenses.

CSO's ultimate guide to social engineering

Say two fire inspectors show up at your office, show their badges and ask for a walkthrough—you're legally required to give them access to do their job. They ask a lot of questions, they take electrical readings at various wall outlets, they examine wiring under desks. Thorough, aren't they? Problem is, in this case they're really security consultants doing a social engineering 'penetration test' and grabbing access cards, installing keystroke loggers, and generally getting away with as much of your business's private information as they can get their hands on. (See How to rob a bank for details from this real-world example.)

Social engineers, or criminals who take advantage of human behavior to pull of a scam, aren't worried about a badge system. They will just walk right in and confidently ask someone to help them get inside. And that firewall? It won't mean much if your users are tricked into clicking on a malicious link they think came from a Facebook friend.

In this article, we outline the common tactics social engineers often use, and give you tips on how to ensure your staff is on guard.

What is social engineering?

Social engineering is essentially the art of gaining access to buildings, systems or data by exploiting human psychology, rather than by breaking in or using technical hacking techniques. For example, instead of trying to find a software vulnerability, a social engineer might call an employee and pose as an IT support person, trying to trick the employee into divulging his password.

Famous hacker Kevin Mitnick helped popularize the term 'social engineering' in the '90s, although the idea and many of the techniques have been around as long as there have been scam artists of any sort. (Watch the video to see social-engineering expert Chris Nickerson size up one building's perimeter security)
Through a Social Engineer's Eyes
Social Engineering expert Chris Nickerson reveals what criminals are looking for when it comes vulnerabilities in building security.

How is my company at risk?

Social engineering has proven to be a very successful way for a criminal to "get inside" your organization. In the example given above, once a social engineer has a trusted employee's password, he can simply log in and snoop around for sensitive data. Another try might be to scam someone out of an access card or code in order to physically get inside a facility, whether to access data, steal assets, or even to harm people.

Chris Nickerson, founder of Lares, a Colorado-based security consultancy, conducts 'red team testing' for clients using social engineering techniques to see where a company is vulnerable. Nickerson detailed for CSO how easy it is to get inside a building without question.

In one penetration test, Nickerson used current events, public information available on social network sites, and a $4 Cisco shirt he purchased at a thrift store to prepare for his illegal entry. The shirt helped him convince building reception and other employees that he was a Cisco employee on a technical support visit. Once inside, he was able to give his other team members illegal entry as well. He also managed to drop several malware-laden USBs and hack into the company's network, all within sight of other employees. Read Anatomy of a Hack to follow Nickerson through this exercise.

In What it's like to steal someone's identity professional pen tester Chris Roberts, founder of One World Labs, says he too often meets people who assume they have nothing worth stealing.

"So many people look at themselves or the companies they work for and think, 'Why would somebody want something from me? I don't have any money or anything anyone would want,'?" he said. "While you may not, if I can assume your identity, you can pay my bills. Or I can commit crimes in your name. I always try to get people to understand that no matter who the heck you are, or who you represent, you have a value to a criminal."

Sneaky stuff. Give me some specific examples of what social engineers say or do.

Criminals will often take weeks and months getting to know a place before even coming in the door or making a phone call. Their preparation might include finding a company phone list or org chart and researching employees on social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook.

In the case of Roberts, he was asked to conduct a pen test for a client who was a high-net-worth individual to see how easy it would be to steal from him. He used a basic internet search to find an email address for the individual. From there, it snowballed.
Useful Books on Social Engineering!

Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking
By Hadnagy and Wilson (Wiley, Dec 2010)
"This book covers, in detail, the world's first framework for social engineering."

No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving, and Shoulder Surfing
By Johnny Long et al (Syngress 2008)
"Whether breaking into buildings or slipping past industrial-grade firewalls, my goal has always been the same: extract the informational secrets using any means necessary."

"We searched for the e-mail address online were able to find a telephone number because he had posted in a public forum using both," said Roberts. "On this forum, he was looking for concert tickets and had posted his telephone number on there to be contacted about buying tickets from a potential seller."

The phone number turned out to be an office number and Roberts called pretending to be a publicist. From there he was able to obtain a personal cell phone number, a home address, and, eventually, mortage information. The point being from one small bit of information, a social engineering can compile an enitre profile on a target and seem convincing. By the time Roberts was done with his pen test, he knew where the person's kids went to school and even was able to pull a Bluetooth signal from his residence.

Once a social engineer is ready to strike, knowing the right thing to say, knowing whom to ask for, and having confidence are often all it takes for an unauthorized person to gain access to a facility or sensitive data, according to Nickerson.

The goal is always to gain the trust of one or more of your employees. In Mind Games: How Social Engineers Win Your Confidence Brian Bushwood, host of the Internet video series Scam School, describes some of the tricks scam artists use to gain that trust, which can vary depending on the communication medium:

-- On the phone:
A social engineer might call and pretend to be a fellow employee or a trusted outside authority (such as law enforcement or an auditor).

According to Sal Lifrieri, a 20-year veteran of the New York City Police Department who now educates companies on social engineering tactics through an organization called Protective Operations, the criminal tries to make the person feel comfortable with familiarity. They might learn the corporate lingo so the person on the other end thinks they are an insider. Another successful technique involves recording the "hold" music a company uses when callers are left waiting on the phone. See more such tricks in Social Engineering: Eight Common Tactics.

-- In the office:
"Can you hold the door for me? I don't have my key/access card on me." How often have you heard that in your building? While the person asking may not seem suspicious, this is a very common tactic used by social engineers.

In the same exercise where Nickerson used his thrift-shop shirt to get into a building, he had a team member wait outside near the smoking area where employees often went for breaks. Assuming this person was simply a fellow-office-smoking mate, real employees let him in the back door with out question. "A cigarette is a social engineer's best friend," said Nickerson. He also points out other places where social engineers can get in easily in 5 Security Holes at the Office.

This kind of thing goes on all the time, according to Nickerson. The tactic is als o known as tailgating. Many people just don't ask others to prove they have permission to be there. But even in places where badges or other proof is required to roam the halls, fakery is easy, he said.

"I usually use some high-end photography to print up badges to really look like I am supposed to be in that environment. But they often don't even get checked. I've even worn a badge that said right on it 'Kick me out' and I still was not questioned."

-- Online:
Social networking sites have opened a whole new door for social engineering scams, according to Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant with U.K.-based security firm Sophos. One of the latest involves the criminal posing as a Facebook "friend." But one can never be certain the person they are talking to on Facebook is actually the real person, he noted. Criminals are stealing passwords, hacking accounts and posing as friends for financial gain.

One popular tactic used recently involved scammers hacking into Facebook accounts and sending a message on Facebook claiming to be stuck in a foreign city and they say they need money.

"The claim is often that they were robbed while traveling and the person asks the Facebook friend to wire money so everything can be fixed," said Cluley.

"If a person has chosen a bad password, or had it stolen through malware, it is easy for a con to wear that cloak of trustability," he said. "Once you have access to a person's account, you can see who their spouse is, where they went on holiday the last time. It is easy to pretend to be someone you are not."

See 9 Dirty Tricks: Social Engineers Favorite Pick-up Lines for more examples.

Social engineers also take advantage of current events and holidays to lure victims. In Cyber Monday: 3 online shopping scams and 7 Scroogeworthy scams for the holidays security experts warn that social engineers often take advantage of holiday shopping trends by posioning search results and planting bad links in sites. They might also go as far as to set up a fake charity in the hope of gaining some cash from a Christmas donation.

Why do people fall for social engineering techniques?

People are fooled every day by these cons because they haven't been adequately warned about social engineers. As CSO blogger Tom Olzak points out, human behavior is always the weakest link in any security program. And who can blame them? Without the proper education, most people won't recognize a social engineer's tricks because they are often very sophisticated.

Social engineers use a number of psychological tactics on unsuspecting victims. As Bushwood outlines in Mind Games, successful social engineers are confident and in control of the conversation. They simply act like they belong in a facility, even if they should not be, and their confidence and body posture puts others at ease.
This is your brain on social engineering

Brian Brushwood is really good at tricking people. So good he founded a website called "Scam School".

Brushwood understands how social engineers mislead people. Four basic principles:

They project confidence. Instead of sneaking around, they proactively approach people and draw attention to themselves.
They give you something. Even a small favor creates trust and a perception of indebtedness.
They use humor. It's endearing and disarming.
They make a request and offer a reason. Psych 101 research shows people are likely to respond to any reasoned request.


Read the details in Mind games: How social engineers win your confidence

"People running concert security often aren't even looking for badges," said Brushwood. "They are looking for posture. They can always tell who is a fan trying to sneak back and catch a glimpse of the star and who is working the event because they seem like they belong there."

Social engineers will also use humor and compliments in a conversation. They may even give a small gift to a gate-keeping employee, like a receptionist, to curry favor for the future. These are often successful ways to gain a person's trust, said Bushwood, because 'liking' and 'feeling the need to reciprocate' are both fixed-action patterns that humans naturally employ under the right circumstances.

Online, many social engineering scams are taking advantage of both human fear and curiosity. Links that ask "Have you seen this video of you?' are impossible to resist if you aren't aware it is simply a social engineer looking to trap you into clicking on a bad link.

Successful phishing attacks often warn that "Your bank account has been breached! Click here to log in and verify your account." Or "You have not paid for the item you recently won on eBay. Please click here to pay." This ploy plays to a person's concerns about negative impact on their eBay score.

"Since people spend years building eBay feedback score or 'reputation,' people react quickly to this type of email. But, of course, it leads to a phishing site," said Shira Rubinoff, founder of Green Armor Solutions, a security software firm in Hackensack, New Jersey. "Many people use eBay, and users often bid days before a purchase is complete. So, it's not unreasonable for a person to think that he or she has forgotten about a bid they made a week prior."

Recent phishing lures even take advantage of the economic downturn, said Rubinoff. It has not been uncommon for fake emails to turn up that claim to be from human resources which say: 'You have been let go due to a layoff. If you wish to register for severance please register here,' and includes a malicious link.

No one wants to be the person that causes problems in this economy, so any email that appears to be from an employer will likely elicit a response, noted Rubinoff. Lares' Nickerson has also seen cons that use fake employer emails.

"It might say, 'In an effort to cut costs, we are sending W-2 forms electronically this year,'" said Nickerson.

How can I educate my employees to prevent social engineering?

Awareness is the number one defensive measure. Employees should be aware that social engineering exists and also aware of the tactics most commonly used.

For elements of an effective security awareness program, see Seven Practical Ideas for Security Awareness and Now Hear This!.

Fortunately, social engineering awareness lends itself to storytelling. And stories are much easier to understand and much more interesting than explanations of technical flaws. Chris Nickerson's success posing as a technician is an example of a story that gets the message across in an interesting way. Quizzes and attention-grabbing or humorous posters are also effective reminders about not assuming everyone is always who they say they are.

"In my educational sessions, I tell people you always need to be slightly paranoid and anal because you never really know what a person wants out of you," said Lifrieri. The targeting of employees "starts with the receptionist, the guard at the gate who is watching a parking lot. That's why training has to get to the staff."

Social engineering tricks are always evolving, and awareness training has to be kept fresh and up to date. For example, as social networking sites grow and evolve, so do the scams social engineers try to use there; see 5 Facebook, Twitter Scams to Avoid and 5 More Facebook, Twitter Scams to Avoid.

The National Cyber Security Alliance recently launched a 'Stop.Think. Connect.' campaign to get users to give more thought to their online behavior so they recognize social engineering cons before they get in trouble.

But it isn't just the average employee who needs to be aware of social engineering. A study conducted in 2010 found executives are actually the easiest targets. In Social engineering: 4 reasons why executives are the easiest targets Jayson Street, a security consultant and CIO of Stratagem 1 Solutions, says executives are soft targets for many reasons, including a lax security attitude and their tendency to use the latest technology—even before it is properly vetted.

Although it's a tactic to use with great caution, fear of embarrassment is a strong motivator. Nobody likes to look foolish, and a successful social engineering test does make the victim feel foolish. This is partly why storytelling works—the reader or listener feels empathy for the person who "got suckered."

Consider this factor if you choose to design an in-house social engineering penetration test. A little embarrassment will put everyone on their toes; crossing the line to humiliation will only make employees angry.

Are there any tools to help make this process more effective?

A number of vendors offer tools or services to help conduct social engineering exercises, and/or to build employee awareness via means such as posters and newsletters.

Also worth checking out is social-engineer.org's Social Engineering Toolkit, which is a free download.

The toolkit helps automate penetration testing via social engineering, including "spear-phishing attacks", creation of legitimate-looking websites, USB drive-based attacks, and more.

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Microsoft MCITP Training at certkingdom.com

Getting around Google+: 25 tips and tricks for power users

The last of our three-part how-to series helps you take your Google+ experience to the next level.

Getting started on Google+ may be simple, but mastering the service's full potential is an art. Thanks to advanced options and third-party extensions, there's always some new way to give Google+ an extra pinch of power.

Here are 25 tips and tricks to help make your G+ experience as good as it can be.
Work faster and better

1. Put your mouse down, homey: You can get around Google+ almost exclusively by using your keyboard. In typical Google fashion, G+ is loaded with keyboard shortcuts. Just press shift + the question mark key on your keyboard when you're in the main stream view and you'll get a list of available commands.

One common command is conspicuously missing from Google+'s keyboard shortcut collection: the ability to open up the notifications window. There is a workaround: From the stream view, press the forward-slash key, press Tab twice and then press Enter. It's a bit involved, admittedly -- sort of like a secret handshake -- but if you're a keyboard shortcut nut like me, it won't take you long to get in the habit.

2. Need to get back to the top of your stream from the Google+ desktop site? You can always use your keyboard's Home key, but if you prefer a mouse-oriented approach, clicking anywhere on the top navigation bar will also take you there.

3. When you mention another Google+ user in a post or comment, type a plus sign before you start typing her name. Google+ will then give you a dropdown list of users from which you can select. Doing so will notify the person that you mentioned her; it'll also let other users hover over the person's name to learn more about her and view her profile.

When you mention another Google+ user in a post or comment, type a plus sign before you start typing the name and Google+ will give you a list of users from which you can select.

4. Google+ makes it easy to make your posts look good: Surround any text with asterisks to turn the text bold, with underscores to make it italicized, or with hyphens to give it a strikethrough effect. Those formatting commands work in comments, too.

5. Next time you're trying to find a particular type of photo from the images you've got stored on Google+, try the intelligent photo search feature. Just head over to the Photos page (you can find it in the left-hand menu) and type a term into the search box at the top of the page -- "dog," "ocean," "picnic," or any phrase that describes what's in the image you want. The system's accuracy will surprise you.

Google+'s intelligent photo search feature lets you find your photos by typing in a descriptive word or phrase.

6. You may know that Google+ automatically makes animated GIFs from related images you've uploaded, but did you know you can easily find all your animated GIFs in a single place? Just search for the keyword "motion" within the Google+ Photos section to see all the GIFs G+ has generated from your photos.

7. Google+'s automatic photo enhancements work on images uploaded to Picasa, too -- even old images uploaded before G+ was around. To check out enhancements made to your Picasa photos, first be sure you've signed into Google+ from the same account you use (or used) with Picasa. Then try searching the Google+ Photos section for keywords like "motion," "hdr" or "mix" to see the enhancements in action.

Streamline your stream

8. If there's a post in your stream you don't want to see, move your mouse to the upper-right corner of its card and click the small down arrow that appears. From there, select the option called "Mute post" to banish it from your life forever. You'll also find options in that menu to report spam or abusive behavior -- and, provided the post is from someone you've added yourself, an option to remove him from your circles right then and there.

9. Want to get a permanent standalone link to an individual post -- either for sharing on another social network or for referencing somewhere outside of Google+? You'll find a "Link to post" option in that same top-right arrow menu mentioned in the last tip; you can also just hover your mouse over a post's timestamp and then right-click to copy the link.

10. Social media is all about engagement, but sometimes you may want to limit the ways in which people can interact with your posts. Google+ has you covered: Just click the small arrow on the right side of the "To" box while you're writing a post. There, you'll find commands to prevent people from leaving comments on the post and also to prevent users from resharing it.
25 Google+ tips and tricks

Get the word out

11. Track how widely any post is being shared with Google+'s Ripples feature. Click the small arrow at the top-right of a post to find the option; selecting it will show you a scalable chart with detailed info about who shared your post and how it spread.

You can also use Ripples to gauge how widely an external page -- a news article or YouTube video, for instance -- has been shared on G+; just add the URL to the end of this string:

http://plus.google.com/ripple/details?url=

Paste it into your browser's address bar or add a bit of code into your browser's bookmarks to create a one-click Ripples button.

(Note: If a post or page hasn't been publicly shared on Google+ -- in other words, if you've limited it to a specific set of people or circles -- no Ripples data will be available. So if you do want to take advantage of the feature, it's best to choose Public on the share dropdown.)

You can track how widely any post is being shared with Google+'s Ripples feature.

12. Think you've got some interesting people in your G+ stream? Share the love with a Google+ shared circle: From the Circles page (click on "People in the left-hand menu and then choose "Your circles" from the top menu), click on any circle you've created. The circle will turn black and offer three icons: a pencil (to edit), a right-facing arrow (to share) and a garbage can (to delete). Click on the arrow icon and you can then share the entire circle with your followers, who will be able to add everyone you've included into their own circles with a single click.

13. Take a minute to make sure you've filled in the "Tagline" and "Employment" sections of your Google+ profile. They're particularly important, as the text you put in those sections appears in a small card every time someone hovers over your name while viewing content on G+.

You can edit both sections by opening your profile, selecting the "About" tab at the top, and then clicking "Edit" in the appropriate areas on the page.

14. If you have your own blog or website, you can put interactive Google+ follow buttons and badges there to encourage visitors to circle you. Google+ doesn't currently offer a full-fledged widget for showing your latest posts, but you can create your own using a third-party service such as Widgetbox.

15. Google+ doesn't provide any official tools for creating RSS feeds from your posts -- no surprise, given the company's broad moves away from RSS -- but once again, third-party services can fill the void. A free service called pluss.aiiane.com is a solid option that works well.

Customize and control
16. Not thrilled with the way Google+ collapses long posts on the Web? No problem: Install a free Chrome extension called Replies and more for Google+. It'll make the service automatically expand all posts by default. It offers a number of other interesting options, too, such as the ability to add a two-click command for sharing any post to email, Facebook or Twitter.

17. If you miss the way the Google+ stream used to refresh automatically, grab a Chrome extension called Auto Load New Posts for Google+. The extension does exactly what you'd think: It makes new posts show up in your stream as they're sent instead of requiring you to click an icon every time they arrive.

A Chrome extension called Favorite Posts for Google+ adds a one-click "Favorites" section into the desktop G+ site for you to use.

18. For a robust post-saving setup, check out a Chrome extension called Favorite Posts for Google+. The extension adds a one-click "Favorites" section into the left-hand sidebar of the desktop G+ site for you to use; it also adds one-click commands within individual posts for you to save the post to Pocket or Instapaper.

19. You automatically see your Google+ notifications at the top of most Google services, but if you use Chrome, you can make it so they're available anywhere on the Web: Just install the Google+ Notifications extension. It'll put a Google+ notifications box in your browser's toolbar area.

20. Ever wish you could schedule Google+ posts for the future? You can -- sort of. While Google+ itself doesn't yet provide such functionality, a Chrome extension called Do Share gets the job done. The catch is that your browser has to be running whenever the post is scheduled to go live in order for it to work.

Beyond Google+
21. You can interact with Google+ directly from Gmail. First, be sure you've set up your G+ email notifications the way you want (go into the Google+ settings and scroll down to the "Receive notifications" section). Then, when you get a G+ activity alert in your inbox, look for the commands to moderate comments, add comments or +1 a post. Performing those actions within Gmail will work exactly the same as if you had performed them from the main G+ site -- and you'll save a few precious seconds.

22. You can save content directly from Google+ to Evernote and other similar note-taking services. First, you'll need to sign into the note-taking service and find the email address associated with your account (for example, here's how you find your Evernote email address).

Then go to your G+ Circles page. Type that email address into the white box at the top right of the page. You'll see a box appear with your name and the Evernote address. Click on the box; you'll see a pop-up that lets you "Add and invite." When you click on that, you'll be able to create a new circle called "Evernote." Now anytime you want to save a post to Evernote, just share it to your Evernote circle and -- abracadabra! -- the deed will be done.

(Note: By virtue of the nature of this process, you'll likely receive an automated invitation to join Google+ in your Evernote account the first time you set it up.)

23. Google+ can serve as a note-taking tool itself: Just create a new circle called "Save." Add only yourself into the circle. Anytime you want to save something for your own personal reference -- whether a new note you're making or content someone else posted -- just share it into your Save circle and it'll be there waiting for you when you need it.

24. If you use Google Docs, you can share documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly from there into Google+. Click the blue Share button at the top right of any open document and then select the G+ icon. You'll be prompted to choose how public the document will be -- either accessible to anyone on the Web or accessible only to those who have the direct link -- and can also set whether other users will be able to edit, comment on or simply read the file.

Like with any G+ post, you can share a document with any circles or subsets of users you want. Once shared, it'll show up in your followers' streams as a readable thumbnail and will open in Docs when clicked.

25. You can make phone calls using Google Voice right from the Google+ desktop site: Open the service's Hangouts feature, located at the right side of the main stream. Once you've signed in, click the small down-facing arrow in the Hangouts section and then select "Call a phone" to get started.

(While Google Voice is free to use within the United States, there is a per-minute rate for international calls. To find out what they are, click the downward arrow that appears after you've selected "Call a phone" and then click on "Rates.")

You can also conduct video calls and group video chats from the same G+ Hangouts section, though those options work only with other Google+ users.

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10 highest paying IT careers for 2013

10 highest paying IT careers for 2013
According to recent reports, IT job growth is up 43 percent since 2012. Find out what jobs are commanding the highest pay within the ever-competitive IT job market.


IT Jobs on the Rise
June was a good month for the IT job market. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the U.S. added more than 18,200 jobs. That's good news for IT pros looking to make a change.

So what roles are paying the most in 2013? Mondo, an IT staffing firm, reports that it has seen steady growth year-over-year and that's equating to six figure salaries for the roles outlined here. IT salaries are, says Mondo founder and CEO Michael Kirven, "trending upward across the board. Each guide shows the previous year's data over the current year and whether trending upward or flat. Very little has trended down in the technology space."

This data was compiled based on Mondo's 1,500 placements nationwide over the last year.


CIO - Chief Information Officer
Salary: $195,000-230,000

Remember the days proclaiming "the death of the CIO role?" Those days are long gone. CIOs and CTOs are again viewed as not only necessary, but highly desired as a strategic partner within the C Suite, according to experts. Technology is a major competitive differentiator and having a seasoned, forward-thinking CTO or CIO is a game changer.

"The CIO is more of a business strategist and technology visionary, a talent manager and change agent. They tend to focus on information, insight and innovation, influence along with a few traditional 'I's such as: integration, infrastructure, interface., etc.," says Kirven.


CTO - Chief Technology Officer
Salary: $145,000-208,000

The CTO position is commonly responsible for technology strategy. The technology in any given industry changes at a dizzying pace and CTOs need to pay keen attention to the technological trends shaping their industry in order to make good choices on which platforms and systems to invest in. The CTO must determine what new technologies to leverage in order to enhance a company's products and/or services.

CSO - Chief Security Officer
Salary: $145,000-208,000

Security is more important than any time in history. The CSO also needs to put compliance in place to protect the landscape. High-profile breaches in security can hammer a stock price so CEOs see security as a real threat, and they continue to invest. "Technology dramatically increases in complexity every year, and it is critical that the CSO understands the complexity involved and fights for the necessary internal budgets," says Kirven.

Vice President of Information Technology
Salary: $130,000-215,000

According to Kirven, the vice president of technology tends to be more technology driven; however, understanding the business is important because it relates to oversight of enterprise architecture, improving end-user experience and managing IT via effective governing.

IT Security Manager: (With 10 or More Years of Experience)
Salary: $145,000-177,000

IT security managers saw a huge spike in salaries year-over-year, jumping from 90,000 to 120,000. According to Kirven, increased exposure to data online, security breaches and a higher demand for CISSP certified professionals have driven up not only demand but also what companies are willing to pay for the skilled security roles.

Software Architect
Salary: $144,000-170,000

"High demand for their skills lets software architects demand hefty paychecks, and they are some of the highest paid IT professionals," says Kirven.

They have the perfect combination of understanding the business value of a solution as well as the technology complexities it involves. They can toggle seamlessly between the business and technology worlds, which makes them highly desirable.


Application Architect (With 10 or More Years of Experience)
Salary: $136,000-185,000

The application architect helps to reduce costs and shorten development times. In many scenarios, they are responsible for the actual architecture of software and applications. Within the product lifecycle, once the basic requirements are formalized -- but before developers begin their work -- application architects do their work of creating high-level tasks.

"Application architects are important to an organization because they set the vision for future Web applications and demonstrate this vision with proof-of-concept applications. They typically work with development teams on the first few implementations of a roll out," says Kirven.


Network Architect
Salary: $132,000-154,000

These IT pros are responsible for a company's vast computer and telecommunications networks. These can include WANs, LANs, extranets and intranets. Network architecture has advanced more over the past eight years than in the previous 20, according to Kirven. "There is a huge push to build private clouds or a hybrid between public and private clouds. This has put a lot of pressure on networking departments to address the challenges that the cloud has placed on the enterprise."


Android Developer
Salary: $130,000-170,000

Tablets and smartphones are everywhere and prices have dropped to the point where many tech consumers have more than one and, according to Mondo, Android is winning, at least within the developer job market. "Android's market share continues to outshine Apple because the leading innovators prefer the 'open' nature of Android over the closed structure of Apple. This is driving up prices for Android developers," says Kirven.

Data Warehouse Engineer
Salary: $129,000-145,000

Big data experts are in high demand, but most companies do not understand just how competitive the job market is or how expensive and complex big data can be. The engineers who specialize within this area of IT are highly sought after and driving up rates, according to Mondo's data.

"Everyone is talking about big data and how to drive top line revenue by investing heavily. Also for the first time, CMOs are building their own big data departments independent of the CIO and that is also driving up salary rates," says Kirven.


Additional Significant Salary Growth Within IT

According to Mondo's research, the following IT positions have also experienced significant salary growth from 2012-2013.

• Data Analysts base salaries increased 18.3 percent from $60,000 to $71,000

• Help Desk Senior Staffers (with 7-10 years' experience) salaries increased 15.4% from $65,000 to $75,000

• Technical Writer base salaries went up 14.3 percent from $70,000 to $80,000

• HTML5 Developers with salaries predicted to range from $97,000 to 135,000

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