John Surmacz

Even though IT jobs are stressful, IT workers are happier now than they were a year ago. According to the March 2005 Hudson Employment Index, compiled by independent research firm Rasmussen Reports, 77 per cent of IT workers say they are happy with their jobs. In May 2004, only 66 per cent of IT workers said they were happy at work.

It's not enough anymore to be a crack programmer or a nimble network administrator. These days, CIOs need IT staffers to share more of the burden of business, to interact with other departments and to communicate effectively with colleagues.