Active Wireless Executive Search Group Inc. Based in South Daytona, Fla., Active Wireless is one of a tiny group of headhunters that focus on the wireless industry. Programmers may struggle to write code that fits in the small memory capacities of the handheld platforms, though the systems themselves are relatively uncomplicated and easy to learn, according to observers. Because such RF jobs are often filled from the ranks of telecommunications companies, most of the opportunities for programmers are in the network and server infrastructure and the application development side, according to vendors and industry observers. The wide gap between the burgeoning demand and the slower-growing talent pool, Moore says, is resulting in IT salaries that are roughly 25 to 50 percent higher than those in other fields. The biggest demand is for programmers familiar with WAP, a standard protocol for displaying the Web on different devices.
College graduates with some courses in wireless-related technologies are also at a premium.
Wireless vendors are sweetening benefits to attract talent. Just about every candidate we have placed gets a sign-on bonus in the thousands. Much of the talent in wireless resides overseas. Europe has long been years ahead of the United States in wireless adoption, especially the Scandinavian countries, where cell-phone penetration exceeds 90 percent and local vendors like Nokia and Ericsson are worldwide leaders. The imbalance suggests that North American recruiters should look to Europe or the Far East, another region where wireless is popular, for programming talent.