Tech job postings are up in Sacramento, one local segment that has appeared to defy the region's hiring doldrums, industry website Dice.com reports.

The website, in its August report, tallied 650 Sacramento job postings as of Aug. 1, up from 587 on July 1 and nearly double the number of postings at the same time last year, said Dice managing director Alice Hill.

The openings represent a wide range of positions from developers to data analysts, project managers and software engineers.

"It seems like a nice cross-mix of tech jobs," Hill said.

Throughout the industry, employers are looking for candidates skilled in mobile technologies, cloud computing and virtualization as well as for the Web application Ruby on Rails.

Meanwhile, job seekers are taking a harder look at startup firms.

Though a large majority – 69 percent – of those polled by Dice for its August report say they would work or stay at an established firm, emerging tech businesses are becoming more attractive.

About one in three surveyed said they wanted to work at a startup, attracted by its entrepreneurial environment, promise of creative freedom and ability to cut through red tape, Dice reports.

Job seekers feel "they can do things more quickly, change quickly, wear a lot of different hats and innovate more," Hill said. "That will appeal to a certain type of person."

Hill said a new influx of venture capital flowing toward startups is another reason they are attracting attention.

"One of the interesting things that happened is that VCs are funding startups," Hill said.

Indeed, venture capital activity is on the upswing.

Software, biotechnology and Internet-related industries received a total of $5 billion in the second quarter of 2011, up from the $3.3 billion invested in the first quarter of the year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' MoneyTree report on venture capital investment.

In recessionary tough times, "it was high-risk to look to startups because of a lack of funding, and it was high-risk to be at a startup," Hill said. "But people are encouraged by tech ideas happening again and that makes startups more attractive and less risky."

How to job-hunt online

Job seekers can learn how to hunt job postings online at a workshop sponsored by the Sacramento Public Library.

The Online Job Search Workshop is 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 23 and 30 at the library's Arcade branch, 2443 Marconi Ave., Sacramento.

The two-part workshop provides tips on how to search for jobs, post résumés and communicate with employers online.

Those participating must have basic computer and Internet experience and an email address before taking the workshop.

The two-week course is limited to 12 students. Participants can register by calling the Sacramento Public Library at (916) 264-2920 or going online at www.saclibrary.org.

Job-hunting questions?

Ask Terri Carpenter, one of our "Ask the Experts" writers, who answers your career questions online.

A jobs expert at the Sacramento Employment & Training Agency, Carpenter has expertise in résumé writing, job-skills training and career counseling.

To post your questions or view her advice to other job seekers, go to www.sacbee.com/ask.

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