The tech world is changing rapidly, so certain IT jobs are experiencing tremendous growth. As a result, the demand for professionals with certain skill sets is high. Individuals with knowledge of high-demand technologies, practical experience, and soft skills are most likely to land a high-paying job.
Knowing what’s sought after in the IT market can help you acquire those skills and distinguish yourself from other applicants.
Whether you are looking for a job, trying to find your next work engagement, or looking for a change in your career, here is a list of six best skills for IT professionals that will increase your value on the job market.
- Cyber-security
The number of data breaches and other security incidents is constantly on the rise, with 2020 beating all records with 2,935 publicly reported breaches in the first three quarters only. Such bleak figures have motivated enterprise executives to take action to prevent further incidents.
According to PWC, 55% of businesses plan to increase their cyber budget, while 51% will hire additional security staff.
Given the shortage of cyber-security skills among IT professionals and cyber-security gaining attention, the timing is perfect to leverage these circumstances and acquire valuable new skills.
The fastest-growing cyber-security skill areas are cloud security and application development security. There is also demand for information security, network security, and vulnerability assessment skills.
- Cloud computing
Since cloud computing is still new, there is an increased demand for skilled IT professionals. And the demand is expected to keep rising since many businesses are shifting to cloud solutions due to its many benefits like cost-effectiveness.
The Coronavirus pandemic pushed businesses online and accelerated the transition to the cloud. Cloud spending has grown staggering 37% during the first quarter of 2020, reaching $29 billion.
Bear in mind that cloud engineering vacancies went up over 100% from 2016-2019 on Technojobs, and you can boost your earnings even more by obtaining relevant certification.
With new cloud technology like Microsoft Azure arising, it is a wise move to gain cloud expertise and take advantage of these new job opportunities. Enrolling in Microsoft course is the best way to ensure you have the skills to design, deploy, and manage Microsoft technologies and services.
Certification in Microsoft Azure significantly increases your chances of getting hired in the cloud computing domain.
- Big data
The number of connected devices keeps growing, so companies are dealing with an incredible amount of diverse data sets. This can be a major benefit for any business looking to improve its operations, but what is lacking is the workforce with the skills to make sense of these data.
Data scientists are the people with the knowledge to analyze the collected data and interpret it to make relevant business decisions. This is also one of the highest-paying jobs in IT.
Proficiency with Python and/or RStudio, knowledge of Apache Cassandra, and other distributed NoSQL database systems are among hot skills in big data that will provide IT professionals with solid premiums.
- AR & VR
Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term encompassing augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). These immersive technologies are expected to explode in the years to come.
Many industries have already adopted AR and VR technology, from entertainment and advertising to education and health care, so it’s no surprise that it’s estimated that the European market will skyrocket to $104.3 billion by 2026.
Of course, the demand for skilled technicians is also expected to grow, but we will see the full impact of these advanced technologies in the next five years.
So, IT professionals who aspire to enter the XR industry should develop their knowledge in Unity.
- AI & machine learning
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have transformed many industries, above all automotive, bioscience, creative services, and data. Along with their popularization, hiring in these areas went up.
According to LinkedIn data, Artificial Intelligence Specialist was the number one emerging job in the UK last year.
This complex area offers an abundance of job opportunities, and it’s highly unlikely that AI and machine learning skills will become outdated any time soon.
Since there aren’t enough skilled professionals in this field, those with expertise in Python, Java, TensorFlow, R, and Natural Language Processing will be able to negotiate high salaries and secure a stable future.
- Software development
Although the IT job market is quickly changing, software developers are still sought-after. We have become more digitally connected than ever, and the demand for software and applications is on the rise. And so is the demand for this role.
Full-stack pros with cutting-edge skills are particularly in demand. IT professionals with a broad range of skills in this field can expect bigger paychecks, as employers are willing to pay an average of $13,762 more for such experts.
What makes this role even more attractive is the fact that developers are adaptable to change which ensures job security. They grow their knowledge, update their skills, and learn a new technology every year, so they can manage even in an uncertain environment.
Top in-demand coding languages for 2020 included Go, Scala, Ruby, TypeScript, and Kotlin. Experience with DevOps is also sought-after by clients.
