What technology should you bone up on if you want a job in an investment bank these days? When we asked this question 18 months ago, the answer was unquestionably Java, which had more than double the number of jobs than its nearest competing programming language.

Now, the answer is not so clear cut. We analysed the number of technology jobs being advertised on eFinancialCareers and matched this against the number of people professing to possess these skills on our CV database. We have also canvassed specialist IT in finance recruiters to get their opinions on what is driving demand. The results are the six programming languages, in order of preference, below.

1. Java – 7 candidates for every available job

Java ranks first due to the volume of jobs on offer rather than the scarcity of the skill-set. Java remains core to the vast majority of investment banking technology projects, from low latency trading systems to market data pricing systems and order booking management platforms, says Paul Elworthy, senior manager at recruiters Ikas International.

So, what will set you apart? “Good relationship management skills and understanding how to connect to the business, be engaged in regulator communication and work in an iterative way will ensure that good Java developers are rarely lacking in opportunities,” says Elworthy.

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