Got the message?

Messaging traffic rose nearly 14% in 2006; little surprise then that messaging skills are increasingly necessary for senior banking IT roles.

Mid- to senior-level business analyst, developer and project management roles increasingly require candidates with messaging expertise, say recruiters - particularly around technologies such as SWIFT.

"[Messaging] may not be new but it is no less vital," says Joseph Apted, consultant at recruitment firm JM Selection.

"For some positions, messaging expertise is an absolute must have," he adds. In a recent case for example, one firm made it clear it was flexible on all skills apart from messaging capabilities when recruiting for a particular role.

Louise Clarke, manager of banking technology at recruitment firm Robert Walters, agrees IT project managers and developers with messaging expertise are still needed.

She says: "Some corporates and banks are still looking to implement messaging systems. Firms are hiring more mid level and senior project and programme managers with messaging specialties."

The bad news is that recruiters say familiarity with messaging technology won't bring a pay premium. However, remuneration for IT in finance specialists across the board continues to rise.