Help Wanted: Linux Pros
The growing number of new Linux-based systems and products, including open source cloud platforms and products like Tesla automobiles, means the forecast for the Linux job market is bright, according to a report produced by the Linux Foundation and Dice, a career site for technology professionals.
The 2015 Linux Jobs Report is based on a survey of 1,010 hiring managers and 3,446 Linux professionals and provides an overview of the state of the market for Linux careers. Some takeaways from the report are:
- More than nine in ten hiring managers (97 percent) say they are looking to recruit Linux coders and system administrators in the next six months.
- 42 percent of hiring managers say that OpenStack and CloudStack experience will have a major impact on their hiring decisions.
- Security breaches such as the 2014 Heartbleed bug have prompted a need for security expertise, with 23 percent of hiring managers looking for security expertise.
- 19 percent are looking for software-defined networking (SDN) skills.
- Linux professional certification is becoming important. 44 percent of hiring managers saying they’re more likely to hire a candidate with Linux certification, and 54 percent want either certification or formal training of their systems administrators.
Most of the hiring managers (88 percent) say that it’s “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” to find qualified Linux job candidates. However, they also say they want to validate the formal training and certifications of candidates to ensure they have the skillsets they are looking for.
One option for those interested in pursuing formal certification—last year the Linux Foundation announced a Linux certification program for both early-career and engineer-level systems administrators. The certification program exams and designations for Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) and Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE) are available online.
And, if you’re new to Linux or simply want a refresher course, EdX, the massive open online course (MOOC) provider and online learning platform, offers an introduction to Linux course for free.
