In the year that saw the launch of the Apple iPad and box office hit The Social Network, research conducted by IT jobs specialist CWJobs.co.uk finds that Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg top the poll of IT personalities who have most inspired people to work in the tech sector.
A survey conducted among 5,500 IT professionals reveals that almost half (46%) feel that the IT industry is considered to be a more desirable industry to work in now than it was five years ago, with 40% saying that the iPad launch has encouraged people to enter the industry.
According to the research, the top five most inspirational personalities in the IT community are:
- 1. Steve Jobs, Apple
- 2. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
- 3. Michael Dell, Dell
- 4. Steve Balmer, Microsoft
- 5. Larry Page, Google
When asked which brands have most positively contributed towards making IT a desirable industry, 70% of respondents said that Google has had the greatest contribution, followed by Apple (59%) and Microsoft (53%).
Recent advancements in the IT industry also play a role in making IT a sought-after industry for jobseekers, with 58% attributing it to mobile development platforms, 47% to developments in social media, 34% to cloud computing and 32% to 3D and animation films.
Richard Nott, Website Director at CWJobs comments, “It’s interesting to see how people’s perceptions of the IT sector have changed so rapidly over the past few years. These changes have introduced a new wave of jobseekers with constantly evolving skill sets to our website, giving our recruiters access to a greater number of high calibre candidates.”
