Technologists working in finance who have spent their career carving out niche skills may find themselves falling by the wayside in these tighter times. Firms are now looking for a diverse range of technical abilities, leadership and business acumen, according to recruiters.

“It’s not enough just to have the technical skills,” reckons John Estes at Robert Half Technology. “We continue to see people and companies wanting a jack-of-all-trades person.”

Craig Stephenson, global sector leader for technology and operations at executive search firm Korn/Ferry, says there’s a clear type of person that’s desirable at the moment.

“Firms want individuals who are versatile, who can multi-task in a number of different areas and help the organisation navigate these tumultuous times,” he says. He adds that problem-solving and leadership skills can help you rise above the pack.

With technology budgets shrinking at investment banks, projects being shelved and IT workers increasingly bearing the brunt of job cuts, firms are being increasingly diligent about how technology can affect the business.

The ability to understand business needs and communicate how technology will affect the bottom line is increasingly seen as integral, reckons Stephenson.

“Technology talent is being tapped to look at incremental ways to increase revenue,” he says.

Estes adds that there’s still a relatively healthy demand in the areas of infrastructure support, network administration and desktop support.