https://www.iotworldtoday.com/wp-content/themes/ioti_child/assets/images/logo/IoTWorldToday-mobile-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
    • Back
    • IoT World Expo Austin
Iot World Today
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
    • Back
    • IoT World Expo Austin
  • newsletter
  • IIoT
  • Cities
  • Energy
  • Homes/Buildings
  • Transportation/Logistics
  • Connected Health Care
  • Retail
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Development
  • Security
ioti.com

Five2ndWindow


chicagoemerge5

Tech Frenzy in the Windy City

Chicago has emerged as one of the best tech destinations in the country, where venture capitalists fuel a thriving startup community, manufacturers embark on exciting Internet of Things projects, and tech talent is in hot demand.
  • Written by Tom Kaneshige
  • 19th October 2016

If you’re living in the Windy City and have top-notch tech skills, you’re pretty much a rock star. Everyone from tech startups to big data companies to old-school manufacturers wants you to sign on to their act.

“The candidate is king right now,” says Kelly Workman, vice president and metro market manager at Robert Half Technology in Chicago, adding, “When you look at Chicago, you see the rest of the world.”

These employers will offer competitive salaries, maybe even signing bonuses, put you on innovative projects such as Internet of Things, and dangle plenty of perks, from flexible work schedules to take-your-dog-to-work days.

Setting the scene, the city of Chicago is one of the hottest tech destinations in the country. For starters, venture capitalists are licking their chops. That’s because Chicago has the most profitable startup investments, more than New York City, Los Angeles and even cities in Silicon Valley. In Chicago, 45 percent of investments produced 10 times a return on investment, reported investment research firm Pitchbook earlier this summer.

Related: Robert Half Technology’s Kelly Workman will be speaking at the IoT Emerge conference, McCormick Place, Chicago, November 2-4. Take advantage of a special discount for readers! Register now using code for a complimentary Expo Pass: IOTEXPOPASS

“It reflects that Chicago has recognized some absolute venture backed home runs: Groupon, Grubhub, Fieldglass and Trunk Club to name a few,” Ezra Galston, senior associate at Chicago Ventures, told Chicago Inno. Chicago’s hot IoT companies include Trustwave for security, Uptake for analytics, TempoIQ for applications, and Aeris Communications for machine-to-machine communications.

Then there’s the high-profile Array of Things project that calls for installing a network of interactive, modular sensor boxes around Chicago. These boxes collect real-time data on the city’s environment, infrastructure and activity for research and public use, Array of Things says.

Startups aren’t the only ones in pursuit of tech talent. Robert Half Technology has seen up to a 10 percent increase in requests for technical people from manufacturers since the start of this year. Skills in security, web development, mobile development, database management, architectural engineering and even desktop support are in high demand.

“In downtown and suburbs of Chicago, there’s a resurgence in our manufacturing orders,” Workman says.

Related: 2017 Salary Guide: IoT’s Captains, Data Stars, Security Pros, Developers

Many manufacturers have embarked on exciting IoT projects and need tech talent to pull them off. It’s something that hiring managers serving IT departments inside manufacturing companies should highlight to woo candidates, Workman says. “Maybe because they’re already in it, they forget how avant-garde, how cutting edge it is.”

Candidates don’t need to have all the requisite skills, either. Robert Half Technology advises companies not to drag their feet, because talented people may not be available 48 hours after an initial interview. If a candidate has three out of five skills, companies should make the offer with the intention of home growing the two missing skills.

For its part, Chicago is working to fill the skills gap. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for instance, graduates hundreds of engineers and computer scientists each year, boasting the sixth-best engineering program nationwide last year, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

Candidates can also make themselves even more attractive by adding leadership skills. Workman says she hears companies asking for candidates who can liaise with business people, not necessarily in client-facing meetings but team-facing ones.

“If a candidate wants to nail the perfect job, not only should they have their ducks in a row technically, but they’ve got to show great personality and leadership,” she says.

Related: Robert Half Technology’s Kelly Workman will be speaking at the IoT Emerge conference, McCormick Place, Chicago, November 2-4. Take advantage of a special discount for readers! Register now using code for a complimentary Expo Pass: IOTEXPOPASS


Tom Kaneshige is editor of Five2ndWindow, an independent news channel covering digital business transformation and the new customer experience. You can reach him at [email protected].

Tags: Article News Five2ndWindow

Related Content


  • AI Summit 2022: Health Care AI Group Wins Into the Den Competition
    Panakeia wins the dragon-den style pitching competition from 30 of the best and brightest AI startups
  • Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
    AI Summit 2022: Ukraine President Zelensky, as Hologram, Asks Technologists for Help
    He will offer tech companies a digital lend-lease akin to World War II
  • Chinese Researchers Develop Mind-Controllable Metasurface
    Bluetooth-enabled sensor uses brainwaves to control scattering patterns on programmable metasurface
  • Image shows a fire truck in New York City
    Nvidia Files Patent to Help Self-Driving Cars Detect Emergency Vehicles
    The company’s solution could prevent AV’s from interfering with first responders on the road

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your IoT World Today account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest News

  • Meet business-wide goals with Equipment as a Service
  • The Forrester Total Economic Impact of Lightbend Akka Platform
  • Semtech Acquires Sierra Wireless for $1.2 Billion
  • Robotaxi via Lyft App Launched in Las Vegas

Roundups

View all

IoT Product Roundup: Verizon, Microshare, SmartCow and More

15th August 2022

IoT Deals & Partnerships Roundup: Nokia, Accenture and More

29th July 2022

IoT Deals & Partnerships Roundup: Nokia, SoftBank, Microsoft and More

15th July 2022

White Papers

View all

The Role of Manufacturing Technology in Continuous Improvement Ebook

6th April 2022

IIoT Platform Trends for Manufacturing in 2022

6th April 2022

Events

View all

IoT World Expo Austin

2nd November 2022 - 3rd November 2022

Latest Videos

View all
Image shows a road within the Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners

Brandon Branham, Peachtree Corners, on Smart Cities

Peachtree Corners CTO and assistant city manager chats with IoT World Today’s Chuck Martin about what’s happening at Curiosity Labs

Image shows a Beep electric autonomous shuttle

Joe Moye, Beep, on Self-Driving Shuttles

Beep’s CEO chatted with IoT World Today’s Chuck Martin about the deployment of the company’s electric autonomous shuttles

E-books

View all

How Remote Access Helps Enterprises Improve IT Service and Employee Satisfaction

12th January 2022

An Integrated Approach to IoT Security

6th November 2020

Webinars

View all

Is MQTT becoming the de facto standard of Industry 4.0? The impact of IoT on industrial automation protocols

18th August 2022

Building trust for a connected world

25th August 2022

Is MQTT becoming the de facto standard of Industry 4.0? The impact of IoT on industrial automation protocols

18th August 2022

Special Reports

View all

Security: The Hidden Risks of Connected Devices

11th August 2022

Omdia’s Smart Home Market Dynamics Report

7th January 2022

Cybersecurity Protection Increasingly Depends on Machine Learning

28th October 2020

Twitter

IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

🎉SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT ALERT!🎉 Brandon Satrom, the VP of experience engineering at @blueswireless, will speak at… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Meet business-wide goals with Equipment as a Service dlvr.it/SWn1g0 https://t.co/Ya1F8QUhpw

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Smart Shopping Cart Startup Raises $35M dlvr.it/SWmd0Q https://t.co/qIAhJNfvDG

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

The Forrester Total Economic Impact of Lightbend Akka Platform dlvr.it/SWmcFd https://t.co/L9JSOlkiOr

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Semtech Acquires Sierra Wireless for $1.2 Billion dlvr.it/SWmXWz https://t.co/oa2WgxyZyI

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Robotaxi via Lyft App Launched in Las Vegas dlvr.it/SWmXT0 https://t.co/2i9bNaWRwG

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Smart Cities Featured at IoT World in Austin dlvr.it/SWmVt7 https://t.co/I7jdnEI89w

17th August 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

📣 Join us on August 18th to explore how MQTT has been helping system integrators to overcome the challenges of hybr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

16th August 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for IoT World Today newsletters: vertical industry coverage on Tuesdays and horizontal tech coverage on Thursdays.

Special Reports

Our Special Reports take an in-depth look at key topics within the IoT space. Download our latest reports.

Business Resources

Find the latest white papers and other resources from selected vendors.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IoT World Series
  • Channel Futures
  • RISC-V
  • Dark Reading
  • ITPro Today
  • Web Hosting Talk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Login/Register

FOLLOW IoT World Today ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X