The tech sector of the economy is finally starting to turn around. Now is the perfect time for developers to start scounting around for better jobs in areas ranging from C# programming and Windows 2003 data migration to financial systems analysis and beyond, according to career recruiters.

"The market for developers had been an employer's market for a very long time. But over the past six to twelve months, it's started to tip in the other direction. Now, it's a candidate's market," said Laurie Keffler of Walnut Creek, CA-based Systems Integration Solutions (SIS), one of several job recruiters interviewed by DevSource.

Some employers haven't quite caught on to the changes yet, according to Keffler. But others are already beginning to respond with higher salaries and better benefit packages.

"With unemployment down to 5 percent, we've seen a resurgence in demand for IT services ever since the end of 2005," concurred Sean Ebner, a recruiter for Fort Lauderdale, FL-based Spherion Corp.

"There's been a large increase in job openings since November. .NET skills are especially in demand," echoed Faten Rebia of eHire Inc. in New York City.

Which jobs are hottest this year? And how can you haul in one for yourself? Recruiters point to boundless opportunities for C#, VB.NET, and ASP.NET programmers, as well as ample positions in development-related work, such as systems integration and software quality assurance (SQA).

The headhunters also cited specific server platforms and vertical markets as particularly fruitful job search grounds.

As Microsoft keeps releasing more and more products in its line-up of next generation application servers, the prospects shine brightest for those who've already picked up some familiarity with .NET languages, the recruiters largely agreed.

"C# is sort of the 'language du jour,'" Ebner told DevSource. Why C# more than C++? "C++ and Visual Basic are very different. It's not as hard for developers to move from VB to C#," Ebner elaborated.

Among server platforms, the job experts highlighted SharePoint Portal Server, SQL Server 2005, Windows Server 2003, and recent releases of Exchange Server.

"Some developers have now been trained in SharePoint Portal Server. But there's a real shortage of people out there with hands-on experience on that platform. I could place three people like that practically as we speak," according to Ebner.

Other developers who can almost write their own job tickets include those well-versed in either Windows Server 2003 data migration or Web-enabled Exchange deployment.

For the year 2006, Ebner foresees the start of stronger needs for Microsoft Office 12 programming skills.

Meanwhile, many developers are also leveraging their Windows programming skills to move into other sorts of IT employment. Systems analysis represents one burgeoning, well-paying area. Others include project management, systems administration, systems integration, and SQA.

In fact, with so many choices becoming available, it might pay to dream up a wish list about where you really want to live, and how you prefer to spend your time.

SQA, for example, entails ongoing software testing and debugging. "These jobs aren't always that glamorous, but they are critical," Ebner acknowledged. So if you're hankering for a position which isn't likely to walk away soon, SQA could be just the field for you.