The number of companies advertising for people to fill senior IT executive roles has seen a sharp fall in the last six months, according to a new survey.

Experteer, an online executive jobs website, found that there was a three per cent drop in demand for IT jobs, while medicine grew by ten per cent and public sector offers registered a rise of 13 per cent, Computing reported.

Sectors linked to property were perhaps the worst hit, as the contracting industry registered a fall of ten per cent in jobs advertised for real estate.

The study explained that IT executives will need to put in more effort to get themselves noticed, such as using the internet to establish relationships while bolstering their CV.

However, employers should not simply sit back, with Experteer continuing: "The current buyers' market does not necessarily mean that the number of candidates with the relevant skills has increased and recruiters should take their time to ensure that they are filling vacancies with the right people."

Last month, Experteer stated that the number of executive job seekers registering with the site increased by one-third.

More than half of small businesses (53 per cent) believe that the most important benefit of outsourcing is guaranteed response times for IT support. London-based Connect conducted the research in 2007.