Hot Career Trends for the 21st Century

— Sacha Cohen

"Manager," "CEO" and "administrative assistant" are old-school. In the Networked Economy, there's a whole new class of job titles coming to an HR department near you. Here are some of the technology-related jobs that will be in demand in the 21st century and beyond.

Network Experts

According to a recent study by IT placement agency Robert Half International Consulting, networking is the most in-demand IT specialty. 32 percent of the 1,400 chief information officers surveyed cited networking as the highest growth area within their IT departments.

Gary LaFave, president of InfoTech Contract Services, says, "With telecommuting on the rise and the high demand for sharing and accessibility to data, the person who understands the connection on both the local, wide and global fronts will be in most demand."

These "Global Network Architects" need to comprehend communication and information at a much higher and more complex level, explains LaFave. They will need to be knowledgeable in Internet, voice, data and cable capabilities as they come together in the next few years.

Information Architect

Part builder, part librarian, an Information Architect clarifies the mission and vision of a document, balancing the needs of an organization and the needs of its audiences. An IA is responsible for learning how users find information in a site by defining the site's organization, navigation and labeling systems.

Web Site/Database Integrator

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 249,000 job openings in this area within the next ten years. Web site/database integrators will need to know standard Web site languages (HTML, PERL, C, JAVA, etc.), database languages (DB2, Oracle, SQL, etc.) and, in the case of legacy systems, some back-end knowledge of accounting packages, financial systems and inventory systems. This job also requires the ability to hook the database(s) to an Internet site or an intranet.

Web Programmers and Developers

As the Internet continues to grow, so will the demand for Web programmers and developers. To land these jobs, you'll need to be well versed in a variety of programming languages including Java, Cold Fusion, C++ and PERL.

Information Broker/Infomediary

Made popular in the new book Net Worth by John Hagel and Marc Singer, an infomediary's primary role will be to act as a third-party agent that brokers client information to vendors in exchange for goods and services for the consumer.

Looking for a position in upper management? Here are a few promising senior-level titles that executive search firm Christian & Timbers predicts will be even hotter in 1999:

E-Commerce CFO

This position is in the greatest demand at pre-IPO companies that are starting to generate revenue and brand. Qualified candidates must possess experience in taking a company public (i.e., know the mechanics of the IPO process) and have good overall business skills.

Internet CEO

This individual will be invaluable to the company that is beyond early-stage start-up. This person will need 15 to 20 years of industry experience and three to five years of experience as a general manager or CEO running a significant business. The most likely talent pool will come from technology and new media.

Vice President, E-Commerce

This individual will be responsible for creating linked networks, databases and business solutions. Because Web technology is changing constantly and electronic commerce is relatively new, those candidates who are able to identify emerging trends will continue to have enormous potential in 1999 and beyond.

This article originally appeared on Monster.com.

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