contents · contents introduction – p.4 business analysis & project management – p.5 ......
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Contents
Introduction – p.4
Business Analysis & Project Management – p.5
C# .Net Development – p.6
C/C++ Development – p.8
Contract – p.9
Client Server Regional – p.10
Data Development & Analysis – p.11
Front End & Web Development – p.12
Java Development – p.13
Open Source Development – p.14
Cyber Security – p.15
Application & Infrastructure Support – p.16
Technical Sales – p.17
QA & Testing – p.18
“Client Server produced record breaking figures on multiple fronts in Q1 including the
number of hires for clients, number of clients engaged and year to date increase of over
30% on last year’s revenue. There have been outstanding performances from all of our
teams, in particular the continued growth of Client Server Regional who are successfully
managing all of our clients outside London.
The increased productivity is a result of the market’s appetite for Big Data, Machine
Learning / AI, JavaScript (with various frameworks like React) and more recently Cyber
Security. We are increasingly seeing a convergence of these skills and how they are
combined. An example of this is the adoption of AI and Machine Learning in the Cyber
Security market when trying to improve the accuracy of predicting attacks. Penetration
testing is increasingly being used to assist with GDPR compliance and is therefore a big
focus at the moment.
Functional programming has been in vogue so far in 2018, with various companies from
start-ups to major corporates competing for the same talent. Commercial experience in
Python, Clojure, F#, Scala, Haskell, Erlang and Go are particularly sought after.
The technology sector has seen little ill effect from Brexit and the demand for
professionals remains high. There has been a decrease in top talent migrating from
Europe however due to factors including more competitive salaries and an increase in
opportunities offered in other European cities.
In other news, financial institutions are having to fend off competition from technology
disruptors such as new innovative start-ups and FinTechs for talent. The established
financial sector has continued to hire to try to keep ahead of the competition, which has
kept demand high.
We are all excited about what the rest of 2018 holds - Congratulations to all our teams
at Client Server for their outstanding start to the year; we’re looking forward to what
Q2 brings!
Nick Boulton, Director
4
Business Analysis &
Project Management
What’s in the news?
Project Managers, Business Analysts and Product Owners have been increasingly
asking us about opportunities around Blockchain technology. While many firms have
overestimated its value in the short term given its global coverage, an increasing
number of companies (including typically conservative firms such as insurers) are
realising their underestimation of its impact and are now investing heavily in the
area.
If you’re new to Blockchain here’s an article which discusses the technology and how
businesses are adapting it to suit their industry:
https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/19/do-you-need-a-blockchain/
What’s hot in Business Analysis & Project Management?
The demand for Agile Product Owners continues to be a key area of growth,
particularly in the junior to mid-range experience levels. We recently placed a
Product Owner with two years’ experience into a UK-based investment bank on a
base salary of £60k, demonstrating how relatively junior candidates now command
salaries, that until recently had been the preserve of hard-to-come-by development
skills such as Scala and Node.js.
Industry Anecdote
It isn’t only less-experienced candidates who are thriving in the current technological
climate. We placed a Head of Client Implementation into a leading financial trading
software house on a base salary of £120k, along with bonus and numerous benefits.
The candidate now has the remit to manage a team of around 40 Project Managers
and Technical Consultants.
Industry Article
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/04/16/the-reinvention-of-
project-management/#b4a89a660a31
5
C# .Net Development
What’s in the news?
Q1 was a fantastic period of growth for businesses across the technology space. On
the C# .Net Development desk we’ve seen the market for candidates continue to
expand. Our clients are returning to Client Server to source technologists for a
growing list of live roles, with full stack web-based roles making up the majority of
opportunities on offer. This rise in the need for technology talent means good
developers are in higher demand than ever, so it’s vital to ensure your recruitment
processes are as fast and efficient as possible.
What’s hot in C# .Net Development?
The C# .Net development space is both evolving and diverse. .Net Core is becoming
far more common in production, with a growing interest in full stack development with
MVC and React/Angular. C# 7.0 Tuple provides a syntax that allows you to combine
the assignment of multiple variables, of varying types, in a single statement,
developing from previous iterations where each variable exists in its own statement.
Cloud technologies remain a hot topic as a growing number of companies continue to
migrate to the cloud. Technologies on the rise in roles include Azure (93% increase),
Google Cloud (50% increase) and AWS (45% increase), so research and learn these
areas to take full advantage of the job opportunities on offer.
The prevalence of Blockchain technologies is increasing, along with Continuous
Integration and Continuous Delivery which are now saturated across industries and
markets.
Industry Anecdote
We recently placed a C# .Net Developer with 5 years’ experience and a 1st Class
Computer Science degree from York University into a technology-focussed hedge
fund on a base salary of £70k. This is a story mirrored across industry sectors, so if
you’re a talented developer there is a role out there for you!
Industry Articles
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/dotnet/2018/02/02/net-core-2-1-roadmap/
6
“Client Server produced record
breaking figures on multiple
fronts in Q1 including the number
of hires for clients, number of
clients engaged and year to
date increase of over 30% on
last year’s revenue”
7
C/C++ Development
What’s in the news?
It’s been a busy start to 2018 on our C++ Development desk, with a large quantity
and variety of roles on offer coupled with a rising number of talented C++
developers looking for their next challenge. Start-ups and SMEs are making the most
of these trends by actively hiring developers with C++/OO backgrounds to take on
emerging languages such as GO and Rust to use on a daily basis. For those on the job
market or open to new opportunities, these technologies and roles offer an
alternative route to your next position.
What’s hot in C/C++ Development?
Technologists searching for their next role are all interested in the same thing;
information on the version of technologies that they will have access to. Businesses
across industries are taking advantage of this demand, with many of our clients
transitioning from C++ ’03 to ’11, ’11-’14 and some even ’14-’17. This trend is not
only great for companies looking for their next hire but also for candidates wanting
to find new and exciting projects to sink their teeth into.
Industry Anecdote
With so many opportunities and talented candidates on the market, it’s vital that your
hiring process provides efficiency and speed. We recently worked with an individual
who turned down a total package of £170k from a Central London-based hedge
fund for a unique opportunity in Silicon Valley. Amazing talent moves fast, so you
have to move faster!
Industry Article
We were sent across a blog from a candidate which discusses C/C++ interview
process techniques. For insight into how hiring managers approach interviews, this
article is a must read:
https://www.daxx.com/article/how-hire-c-developer
8
Contract Recruitment
What’s in the news?
Our contract division had a busy Q1 seeing more “non-technical” discussion points. The
debate over “what are the HMRC doing about IR35 this year / next year?” and “how
can CEST be so wrong?” along with GDPR implications and Brexit seeming to take up
a large majority of meetings both with clients and contractors. It will be interesting to
see what the impacts of some or all of these will be in the not too distant future.
Despite all of this, we have a client base that is pushing forward with their long term
plans and programmes leading to hiring multiple contractors into their teams, needing
delivery in the usual aggressive timeframes.
What’s hot in Contract?
It seems strange that with the sunny March the UK experienced a lot more contractors asking about remote and flexible working! They are challenging those last few clients that don’t adopt this as “normal” to think about how they are attracting their workforce in this modern age. We’re also seeing a greater use of technology in the hiring process, with offers being made as a result of skype interviews illustrating that the “race for talent” is becoming increasingly competitive.
Industry Anecdote
We recently worked with a senior JavaScript developer who was new to contracting but still achieved £525 per day to develop trading platforms at a spread betting
company. It goes to prove that businesses will pay well for talent.
9
Industry Article
http://www.recruiter.co.uk/news/2018/04/industry-outraged-over-hmrc%E2%80%99s-cest-shortcomings
Client Server Regional
What’s in the news?
Continuing an exciting Q4 of 2017, our clients showed no sign of lowering their
hiring drive in Q1 helping Client Server Regional to achieve a record-breaking
quarter. This success, coupled with demand from businesses developing their
technology teams, meant our division has grown to 7 Consultants working more roles
than ever before. If you’re looking for roles outside of London, you can’t go wrong
with the ever-growing technology hubs of Cambridge and the Home Counties. Our
clients in these regions are hiring for positions using world-leading and innovative
technologies in a plethora of industries. Career development opportunities available
outside of the capital are plentiful, and offer a great alternative to life in the city.
What’s hot in Client Server Regional?
The need for resilient code has never been greater, which is being mirrored in the
hiring trends of our clients across the country. We’ve seen a tangible rise in the
demand for strong Automation Test Engineers who can build complex test suites in
Python, C# and Java. Ensure your hiring process is strong to help entice the best
talent on the market.
Industry Anecdote
Commercial experience isn’t everything; demonstrable skills and interest outside of
work can help candidates get the roles, which on paper would be typically out of
reach. We recently helped a candidate make his break into the Machine Learning
space in Cambridge, despite lacking commercial experience. In spending a lot of
time over the past few years working on his own personal projects around Machine
Learning, AI and Python, he had gained the skills needed to do the job whilst
bringing to the company a quality all employers look for in new hires; a genuine
interest in their work. Talent can be hidden in unusual places. Working with
Recruitment Consultants can help you find it.
10
11
Data Development &
Analysis
What’s in the news?
It’s been impossible to turn your head without seeing a news article or opinion piece on
the recent revelations surrounding Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the use of
personal data to influence major political events such as the US presidential elections.
Businesses and even governments are opening their eyes to the insights which can be
gained from analysing personal data on a global scale and in turn how this tool can be
used and monetised. A floury of media coverage is leading to an increased awareness
of data protection, analytics and artificial intelligence from not just the technology
community, but from the general population as a whole. We’re seeing a growing
number of hires being made around Machine Learning, Data Science (as opposed to
Analysts) and AI Engineers. Due in part to new laws (i.e. GDPR compliance) and
increased press coverage, what was once a niche area within larger organisations is
now the basis of entire companies and a rapidly growing industry.
What’s hot in Data Development & Analysis?
Thanks to its simplicity, scalability and extended library containing ready-made
methods for data processing, Python is quickly becoming the go-to coding language
within Data Science, with SQL remaining prevalent. The open source library TensorFlow
is increasing in popularity in Machine Learning, as its flexible architecture allows the
deployment of numerical computation to one or more CPU’s or GPU’s in a single API. If
you’re looking for Data positions these technologies are great to have!
Industry Anecdote
The boom in demand for Data talent means the earning potentials for technologists of
all experience-levels are exciting. A leading financial spread betting company put out
offers of £40-50k for MSc and PhD graduates for Data Science and Machine Learning
positions, commercial experience not required. Opportunities are plenty and valuations
of talent are rising, something to be aware of if you’re a business looking for your next
hire.
Industry Article
https://www.techradar.com/news/facebook-will-move-the-data-of-15-billion-users-to-avoid-eus-new-privacy-law
Front End & Web
Development
What’s in the news?
JavaScript remains a dominant technology field, so learning the programming
language to enhance your skillset is a great proposition. If you’re new to the
language and want to learn JavaScript on the go, Google have recently released
an app which teaches you how to code JavaScript through mini-games.
What’s hot in Front End & Web Development?
Everyone is excited and talking about the new ECMAScript2018 and what the new
feature updates will be upon its release in June 2018. React remains at the top of
the JavaScript frameworks wish list for both clients and candidates, whilst Vue has
been growing in popularity, especially for Greenfield projects.
Industry Anecdote
With Full Stack Developers in high demand, there was no surprise when one of our
candidates with a C#, .Net and JavaScript experience became hot property. Their
preferred company also recognised the demand so didn’t hesitate in moving quickly
to secure their services with a substantial pay rise.
Industry Article
https://jaxenter.com/typescrip-leader-typed-javascript-143329.html
12
Java Development
What’s in the news?
In an increasingly global market, more of our clients are expanding their hiring search
and investigating visa sponsorship for candidates from non-EU European nations. To
increase hiring efficiency there has been more willingness to use technologies such as
Skype, Google Hangouts, Hackerrank, Coder Pad and Codility in combination to
complete 1st and 2nd round interviews. Companies are becoming more prepared to
cover the cost of face-to-face interviews or, in some cases, complete the entire
selection process remotely. In being open to changes within their hiring processes, our
clients are able to tap into under-utilised talent markets.
What’s hot in Java Development?
March saw the release of Java 10, bringing with it most notably local variable type
inference, G1 Garbage Collection and improved Docker compatibility, amongst a
variety of other features. The next iteration Java 11 is set to be released in
September 2018, from which we can expect new Garbage Collection and Lambda
features. We’ve also seen a rise in businesses transitioning into serverless architectures,
meaning they are only charged when the code actually runs and so reduces costs. We
recommend researching and working with the latest technologies to add greater value
to your CV.
Industry Anecdote
In an industry growing as quickly as this, businesses must move quickly to ensure they
can capture the best talent on the market. One of our clients, a leading global gaming
company, have recently begun to extend offers to candidates through an entirely
remote interview process. This has been successful in filling mid to senior level Java
development roles from individuals in Turkey, a process which has dramatically
reduced their fill times on these positions. In March we helped to fill two of their open
roles in this manner. If you want roles filled fast and effectively, this method is a great
way to achieve those results.
Industry Article
https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/cloud/pros-and-cons-of-serverless-architecture/
13
Open Source
Development
What’s in the news?
If you’re looking for an interesting programming language with great career-
benefiting potential, you can’t go far wrong with Python. Our clients are continuing to
search for talented Python developers with experience of various frameworks,
including Django, Pandas and NumPy. We’ve seen a growing interest in Pydata
roles, particularly for data analysis, integration and modelling. Experience in
GoLang also remains highly sought-after, however the search for permanent
candidates is made trickier by the earning potential of contracting within this
technology. These developers are typically self-taught or have come from other web
technologies and so possess valuable attributes to employers, however to attract this
talent your business must also offer strong value propositions, monetary or otherwise.
What’s hot in Open Source Development?
Our clients are always looking for talent within Python development, particularly
individuals with NumPy and Pandas framework experience. iOS development is also
still hot property, with businesses offering roles where Swift and RxSwift are front
and centre. Go, “the server language of the future” (Tobias Lütke, Shopify), is a
growing trend with employers and so a great technology skill to have on your CV.
Industry Anecdote
From start-ups to established global firms, businesses are prepared to pay well for
desired skills. We recently placed a candidate with a degree from Cambridge
University at a start-up software house producing innovative AI solutions on £75k
plus significant share options.
Industry Article
https://iosdevweekly.com/ - Great place to find Q&A sessions and articles.
14
Cyber Security
What’s in the news?
From global companies to your neighbours, all internet service users are being
targeted by malicious programmes. Google Chrome has removed fake ‘ad-
blockers’ from the browser after over 20 million users downloaded updates
containing Malware. It was uncovered that five malicious ad-blocker browser
extensions were live on the Chrome web store, highlighting a worrying method
trend of cloning legitimate ad blockers, adding Malware features and then
distributing in an attempt to breach personal security. The implications of this
activity on business is of course disastrous, so it pays to stay ahead of the game on
cyber security.
What’s hot in Cyber Security?
Ransomware is a recognised problem for companies of all shapes and sizes,
epitomised by the large scale WannaCry attack that decimated the NHS and other
organisations around the world. In 2018 and beyond will we start to see consumers
being targeted across a range of connected devices and how will businesses adapt
to those potential threats?
Industry Anecdote
With the rise in prominence of cyber security efforts, there are more opportunities
than ever for technologists in the area. We placed a Junior Penetration Testing Pre-
Sales Consultant with an MSc in Information Security, at a global security
consultancy in a newly-formed penetration testing pre-sales team.
Industry Article
https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-cuts-fake-ad-blockers-from-chrome-store-
were-you-among-20-million-fooled/
15
Application &
Infrastructure Support
What’s in the news?
With more Support roles on the market than ever, the digital skills gap in the UK is
becoming more and more prevalent for businesses looking to grow their teams.
According to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, employers are struggling
to fill 43% of STEM vacancies, resulting in companies feeling they are being held
back. With an entire generation of digital natives, technology talent shouldn’t be in
short supply, however many are overlooked for positions due to lack of STEM
education. By changing the focus on university grades businesses can access a wider
array of digital talent.
What’s hot in Application & Infrastructure Support?
Automation is the word on everyone’s lips. Stepping away from traditional DevOps
roles, we have seen an increase in demand for Network Engineers with skills in
automation and languages such as Python. This profile is rare, however thanks to the
demand from companies more and more Network Engineers are building on their
existing skillsets.
Industry Anecdote
We were recently pleased to work with a global investment advisory to source a
Head of IT Operations on a base salary of £105k plus a significant package.
Industry Article
An article about how technology is changing the way we may shop in the future.
https://stepfeed.com/pepsi-s-innovative-smart-cart-is-pushing-futuristic-boundaries-
at-step-2018-2095
16
Technical Sales
What’s in the news?
Q1 2018 has been steady with a growing number of our clients becoming aware of
the additional recruitment consultancy we can offer to complement our existing
services. In addition, the demand for high performing market specialists is as strong as
ever, with the fight for new business hunters often resulting in the candidate having
multiple options.
What’s hot in Technical Sales?
Although activity across many areas of technology is buzzing, one of the verticals
seeing increased activity over the past 12 months is the security space. With ever-
evolving cyber threats and data leaks, companies are increasing budgets with these
threats in mind and in turn opening up further business opportunities. The FinTech
market is evolving; start-ups in the crypto space, payments, trading/FX platforms are
all areas of increased focus with companies fighting for proven performers.
Industry Anecdote
We placed a Technical Account Manager at an industry leading mobile engagement
provider on £55k, and had further success across other markets.
Industry Article
A good article with some views on avoiding making the wrong hire. In some cases the
picture of the perfect candidate can restrict the target market and often it’s near
impossible to replicate the high performers in the team by way of CV screening or
box ticking; most high performing sales people rely on their individual ability to make
it happen after all! More often than not the best people will be sitting on a strong
pipeline of business and commissions there must be a strong value proposition!
https://risehigh.co/blog/hiring-sales-team-for-startup/
17
QA & Testing
What’s in the news?
Test.AI is billed as a tool which will add an AI Brain to both Selenium and Appium.
Tests are defined in a simple format similar to the BDD syntax of Cucumber, so it
requires no code. It’s smart enough to know that if an element ever changes it can
adjust and identify it without the need to make changes manually. This tool is still in
beta.
Mabl is similar to Test.AI. Mabl was started by a group of ex-Google employees. It
runs functional tests against your apps or website. In Mabl terminology, you ‘train’
your tests to interact with your applications. When you’re done recording, your
trained tests will run at a predetermined amount of time and alert you.
What’s hot in QA & Testing?
The Espresso testing framework provides a set of APIs to build UI tests to test user
flows within an app. These APIs let you write automated UI tests that are concise and
that run reliably. Espresso is well-suited for writing white box-style automated tests,
where the test code utilises implementation code details from the app under test.
Industry Anecdote
We placed a Senior Test Analyst with 5 years’ experience with a mixture of skills in
both manual and automation into a telecommunication solutions software house on
£52k just 5 days after starting their job search. An efficient hiring process and
recruitment consultant can make finding your next hire fast!
Industry Article
https://techbeacon.com/5-ways-ai-will-change-software-testing
18
https://www.client-server.com
020 7090 2500 (London)
01372 476 500 (Surrey)
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+61 (0) 2 8295 3700
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