The 2015 Linux Jobs Report Shows the Open Cloud Driving New Hires

For several years running, OStatic has been reporting on the high demand found in the job market for people with Linux skills. Have you been pounding the pavement for a job, or wanting some extra work on the side, and getting ever more frustrated? Linux skills may be a solution for you, as evidenced by the latest findings from the 2015 Linux Jobs Report, which finds that the rise of open cloud platforms like OpenStack (often deployed on Linux) is only inreasing demand for people who know their way around Linux.

The 2015 Linux Jobs Report comes from The Linux Foundation, in conjunction with Dice, and includes data from hiring managers (1,010) and Linux professionals (3,446). Here you'll find details.

"Competition for Linux talent is accelerating, as the software becomes more ubiquitous," said Shravan Goli, President of Dice, in a statement. "Hiring managers need to ensure they are offering the right set of incentives to attract talent, while professionals need to provide evidence of their knowledge and skills, especially in areas of growing demand such as the cloud."

Key statistics from the report include:

Nearly all hiring managers are looking to recruit Linux professionals in the next six months. With new Linux-based systems, projects and products constantly emerging, hiring the right talent to support all the growth continues to be a priority amongst employers. Ninety-seven percent of hiring managers report they will bring on Linux talent relative to other skills areas in the next six months.

The rise of open cloud platforms is creating even more demand for Linux professionals with the right expertise. Forty-two percent of hiring managers say that experience in OpenStack and CloudStack will have a major impact on their hiring decisions, while 23 percent report security is a sought-after area of expertise and 19 percent are looking for Linux talent with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) skills.

Linux-certified professionals will be especially well positioned in the job market this year, with 44 percent of hiring managers saying they're more likely to hire a candidate with Linux certification, and 54 percent expecting either certification or formal training of their SysAdmin candidates.

"Demand for Linux talent continues apace, and it's becoming more important for employers to be able to verify candidates have the skillsets they need," said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. "Formal training and certifications are a key way of identifying qualified talent, and as more people join the Linux community, it will be increasingly necessary for professionals to show they stand out in the crowd."

You can download the complete jobs report at: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/linux-foundation/linux-jobs-report-2015

Also see our post on advancing your own Linux skills here.