As each day passes, technology becomes more and more integral to our lives, as it infiltrates every sector. Just looking at IT recruitment over the past couple of years, there has been a massive increase in the demand for people with technology skills. Many things are responsible for this demand, with the obvious pandemic being but one of them, as it sent many businesses scrambling to make improvements and updates to their digital infrastructure.
So, when we look at the various IT skills, which of those are most sought after? Using data, from many different sources, we were able to compile a list of the most in-demand skills that an employer is currently in the hunt for. If you’re interested in acquiring a new IT skill or you’re interested in getting into a career in IT, then this list should be a good starting point for you, as it will give you an idea of what to have your eyes on.
Cybersecurity
As with many IT jobs, the current pandemic situation has created a huge demand for people in the cybersecurity field. Cybersecurity is without a doubt, one of the most important aspects of any business, especially for those businesses that have a lot of stored customer data. As these companies can be fined huge amounts of money if they do not put in place, strong enough cybersecurity measures to protect the data.
Thus, businesses need to ensure that they have the qualified personnel to provide that security. According to most recent studies on the topic, in the next year or so, it is predicted that there will be close to 3.5 million jobs in just the cybersecurity sector alone. If you’re looking for a job role/skill with great prospects, then you can’t go wrong with cybersecurity.
Cloud Computing
Cloud skills are another one that is in high demand, with certifications in the cloud, contributing greatly to the highest salaries in IT today. One of the main reasons why expertise in the cloud is so important is because it intersects with virtually every field and skill in the technology sector today.
Cloud has virtually changed the game. Led by various platforms like Microsoft Azure and AWS, the cloud has become the top enabler, creating new revenues by effectively leveraging technology like the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, you have topics such as cybersecurity, data analytics, project management, and networking that have all been influenced in one way or another by the implementation of the cloud.
Cloud computing today, is one of the highest IT investment areas right now, and for decision-makers, it’s one of the most challenging hiring areas.
When we consider economic recovery, we find that cloud architect and cloud administrator are two job roles that are almost recession-proof. Recent projections predict that spending in IT will drop by around 5%, but we know, that if there is any growth in the industry over the next 12 months, it will most likely be cloud-based. We may even see an acceleration in the investments in cloud deployments.
Azure
Azure was developed by Microsoft and is a cloud computing system, used for deploying, building, and managing services/applications through data centers owned by Microsoft themselves. Azure offers services that are similar to AWS and as recently mentioned, a lot of businesses today now utilize the cloud, requiring specialists to support and manage these services.
Azure comes available with support for a wide array of software-as-a-services (SaaS), programming languages, infrastructure-as-a-services (IaaS) and platform-as-a-services (PaaS).
JavaScript
JavaScript is essentially a programming/scripting language, which grants coders the ability to add complex features and design elements to their web pages. Such features may include things like animated graphics interactive maps, time-triggered content updates, and video. HTML is a language that is used to structure a website, whereas JavaScript is implemented as a means of greatly enhancing the overall website experience. Anything that can be considered dynamic on a website, is implemented through the use of JavaScript.
Software Development
There is a growing demand for software development, due to the increased number of mobile users who of course, use apps and other such technology. According to a report by Stack Overflow, close to 75% of all developers will learn a new technology, every year, which means they are always learning something new, developing new skills, and growing their knowledge base.
This makes the vast majority of developers adaptable, and able to take on any new change, as they keep their skills up-to-date with the times. The result is job security, which is ever so important, in these current times. If software development is something that could interest you, then the two most widely used languages today are Java and SQL.
Data Science
In this current era, now more than ever, due to technological developments in the field of data collection, you will find that a lot of companies can hold significant amounts of data, which of course, has its benefits. However, making sense of all the data can be extremely difficult, and extremely complex. This is where the role of the data scientist comes into the equation, their job is to look at and analyze this data, to interpret the data, so that proper and sound business decisions can be made. Recent reports have put the job role of the Data Scientist at the very top, in terms of demand, over the next couple of years.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence which also goes by the name Machine Learning, is in huge demand. This demand, however, is driven, primarily by the lack of skilled professionals in this area. When a field lacks professionals, this in turn fuels the demand for workers, which means higher salaries for those who choose to venture into it.
AI has been around, for only a few years, despite that, it is a skill that is future-proofed, meaning, it’s a skill that will remain relevant for the future. So if you’re looking for a field that has great prospects, then AI is the way to go.
–AUTHOR INFO—
Uchenna Ani-Okoye is a former IT Manager who now runs his computer support website https://www.compuchenna.co.uk.
