Savour the Java and break out the Ajax

Job candidates in the financial services market should consider adding Ajax to their skill set - but not at the expense of Java.

"We're definitely beginning to see a bigger number of clients looking for Ajax skills from candidates," comments Julian Divett, chief operating officer of recruitment and training firm FDM. "I certainly think candidates with Ajax are likely to find work more quickly."

However, Divett doesn't believe that Ajax allows candidates to earn higher salaries - and certainly doesn't replace the need for good Java skills. He argues this is because of how the two languages are used: they are complementary to each other rather than alternative options. "Ajax is great for presenting information with a nice look and feel, with good graphics and functionality," he says. "But you still need Java at the back end to do the more complex stuff."

Ajax is relatively easy to learn, which also means Ajax programmers will earn less than their Java counterparts, adds Sam Baxendale, a managing consultant with Computer People. "The skill level is much lower and easier to acquire," he says.

Baxendale says his firm has also seen an upturn in demand for Ajax skills, but says employers are most often looking for application developers with a combination of 'the big three' skills - Ajax, Java and Microsoft .NET or ASP.

For job candidates without Java, the best advice is to learn other web developer skills such as Microsoft C# and ASP, in addition to Ajax. But as Divett points out: "Without Java, you're a web developer, and there are lots of those around, not earning very much. Java's not going anywhere, any time soon."