Go West, if you're looking for an IT job. That's one of the takeaways from a recent analysis of Dice job postings. The number of postings in the New York-New Jersey area, which numerically has the, postings soared 14 percent during the same period. Dallas jumped 10 percent.

Jobs in Demand

That said, some positions look good wherever you are. The need for mobile developers, .NET developers, Java developers or  software developers is very high. Of particular note, these positions are "cited by hiring managers and recruiters about double or triple the frequency of other skill sets in the employment marketplace," hiring managers have told Dice.

Train, No Gain

Ideally, employers want candidates with two to five years of experience in the industry, or secondly, six to 10 years of experience.  Prospective employers are likely to hope you already come with all the knowledge and training you need, rather than have to invest any training or expense to have you certified. Hiring managers and recruiters, according to the survey, note they expect folks to stick around for roughly three years, so the expense and time invested in training or cross-training employees may turn out to be bust. Some companies, however, are beefing up their IT cross-training as employees are expected to do more in the face of having less workers post layoffs. In Michigan, for example, the region has developed the Shifting Code program, which works with local companies such as Compuware, Quicken Loans and GalaxE. Solutions to teach employees in-demand software skills. A number of hiring managers and recruiters will likely tell you, however, that job candidates and employees who take the initiative to be "continual learners" are the most valuable to snap up and retain - whether they do it on their own time and dime or the company's.