As we head into 2012, we are armed with an abundance of predictions surrounding trends in technology, security and governance. But of more immediate concern to you may be what is going on with the people involved in these trends: How is the IT job market evolving? What are IT pros expecting out of their work? What are your competitors doing to procure the best talent possible?

Even if you are not looking for a new job this year, chances are good that someone who works for you is. To offer some insight, the first edition of FierceCIO in 2012 focuses on the job outlook.

Last year saw an uptick in tech hiring, and the trend is expected to continue. In the latest survey from Robert Half Technology, 20 percent of CIOs said they plan on hiring in the first quarter this year, and just 10 percent said they anticipate a staff reduction. These findings track a variety of other forecasts from recruiting firms and practitioner surveys. Overall the climate for hiring appears optimistic, but certainly not exuberant. Some research has found that many IT executives--perhaps as many as 30 percent--anticipate an ongoing hiring freeze at their organizations this year.

Unemployment in the tech sector is low despite problems in other areas of the economy, and as a result CIOs may not find it easy to fill vacant positions even after getting the go-ahead to do so. Skilled networking, security and application development pros may be hard to come by, according to the Robert Half survey. Developers with expertise in Java, .Net and mobile applications may find themselves the objects of recruitment. It seems to be getting harder to hold on to younger developers, who are ambitious about advancing their salaries, skills and work conditions.

Unfortunately for the upper echelons of IT, the job market doesn't appear nearly as rosy. Recruiters expect manager and director positions to open in a handful of areas, including infrastructure (as baby boomers retire), vendor and outsource provider management, data analytics and business relationship management, but overall no surge in IT executive hiring is in the forecast. The key for IT leaders, many advisers have suggested, is to adapt readily to changing business needs, anticipating them whenever possible.

Whether you are seeking a change in your own job or you are satisfied with your current challenges, I wish you the best of luck in 2012. - Caron