If You Don't Know Linux, You Better Learn Fast

Jobs again this year were a major theme in the State of the Union address with the President saying that we must train our students for the jobs of tomorrow. Guess what? Those jobs of tomorrow are Linux jobs. Maybe the President didn’t realize he was talking about Linux, but we know that Linux is supporting the computing infrastructure that makes our 21st century lives possible. From the phones we use to the websites we frequent to the cars we drive, Linux is running it all. And nothing underscores this fact more than year-over-year demand for Linux talent to support its pervasiveness in every day life.

The 2013 Linux Jobs Report released today in partnership with Dice.com shows that demand for Linux talent is up for the second year in a row. Ninety-three percent of hiring managers say they will be hiring Linux pros this year. The report shows a significant spike in the areas of systems administration and DevOps. These jobs are filled by people who manage the massive data centers, cloud platforms and data analytics that run and inform each and every transaction companies and individuals conduct every day.

This year’s report for the first time surveyed both hiring managers and Linux professionals in an effort to provide a comprehensive picture of the state of the Linux jobs market. The results show that Linux pros are being aggressively pursued by recruiters; seventy-five percent of those surveyed said they have received a call in the last six months. And, more than 1/3 plan to make a move this year, representing an opportunity for employers. But according to the report, even more hiring managers than in 2012 are struggling to find experienced Linux talent (a full 90%).

As a community and an industry, we have a big job of our own: we must train students and professionals for the jobs of tomorrow: Linux jobs. Linux has experienced rapid growth in every area of computing over the last decade but we must be able to support that growth with talented professionals who know how to build and maintain Linux-based devices and systems.

The good news is anyone can get involved in Linux and they can do it right now. There are no barriers to entry here. As the expertshave pointed out, you can start contributing today. A bug fix here, a patch submission there. If you’re looking for some guidelines on how to get started, check out kernel developer Jon Corbet’s guide on participating in the Linux kernel community. Also, take advantage of the variety of The Linux Foundation’s Linux training courses, which are taught by leaders from the Linux and Linux kernel communities.

We encourage people to move on this opportunity fast. Linux needs your support, the army is is building.

Who would have expected that a free operating system would spur jobs growth? It is possible to share, collaborate and grow the economy, and Linux is a prime example.