Tech skills play an imperative role when it comes to delivery of products and services in the IT industry. Technology is constantly evolving and IT professionals need to keep up with changing skills demands to remain relevant.
An insight from Computerworld’s Tech Forecast 2017 suggests that improving employee productivity and increasing customer satisfaction/experience are the top priorities for IT Departments for the next 12 months.
The same study suggests that in 2017:
– 47% of organizations plan to increase spending on security technologies which includes access control, intrusion prevention, virus and malware protection, identity management and privacy.
– 38% of enterprises plan to increase their spending on data analytics such as big data enterprise analytics, data mining and business intelligence
This indicates a strong demand of investment in IT skills and technologies to boost up the productivity, and enhance the enterprise security.
This fact is also endorsed by a recent study conducted by LinkedIn, which revealed the hottest technology skills of 2016 that would be in demand in 2017.
In the following, we are bringing up an abridged version of both quoted studies and listing down 10 hottest skills that will be in-demand, this year.
1. Cloud and Distributed Computing
Cloud and distributed computing has topped the list for the past two years and is regarded as the top skill on every list. On the other hand, data mining and statistical analysis were following closely on its heel with number one spot in 2014 and number 2 in 2015.
The reason for being high in demand is due to innovative technology and employers’ preference to have employees on board with cloud & distributed computing skills, data mining, and statistical analysis.
2. IT Architecture
The term “IT Architecture” incorporates an extensive range of specialists, from expertise architects to cloud architects. The field of IT architecture has moved away from reactive one- off projects to becoming an extremely structured field.
Companies demand IT Architecture professionals with technical chops who have progressed from technical positions into more managerial roles so they can lead teams tasked with driving IT projects forward.
3. Programing/ Application development
Despite fears that programming expertise is a commodity that can be obtained cheaply offshore, programming and application development continues to be among the most sought-after skills in enterprise IT.
Demand for programmers and developers is springing up in new areas, too, thanks to the rise of mobile and the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT).
4. Project Management
Tech companies demand people who can help their teams work within an agile and developed environment, as well as professionals who can manage diverse teams and negotiate priorities, scope, deliverables and expectations with various stakeholders. IT projects are notorious for their higher failure rate, hence, organizations look forward to people with sound project management skills.
5. User Interface Design
User interface design is back with a big jump from number 14 in 2014 to number 5 in 2016. Data has become vital to many products, and has created a demand for people with User Interface Design skills, making the products easy for customers to use.
6. Big Data
Companies are typically looking for someone who can help them manage data and package that data. They want people who can interpret and then help bring that data to life visually — building dashboards and things of that nature, so the executive suite can push through techspeak and understand what the data is telling them.
7. SEO & SEM
Search engine optimization and search engine marketing were very much in demand until 2015. However, the things have changed with the passage of time. The demand of SEO and SEM were dropped from number 4 to number 9. Moreover, the marketing campaign management was completely waived off the list. The reasons were that managers preferably hire the resources with marketing skills.
8. Business Intelligence/ Analytics
Now days companies want IT professionals with these skills is strong, particularly in healthcare, insurance, financial services and retail — industries where the use of BI and analytics is more mature than it is in other sectors.
It has been observed that companies are looking for recruits with technical expertise, but they also want BI specialists who understand the business and the industry. Such requirements put a premium on good candidates.
9. Help Desk /Technical Support
A Help Desk is a resource designed for IT users to contact when they are having problems with their IT services. Help Desks institute a multi-tiered trouble shooting approach by having personnel with extensive technical knowledge available.
Implementation of this multi-tiered support varies widely within companies. In one company it may be one person with a wealth of knowledge carrying a cell phone.
In another company it may be several people who perform some of the support in house and several people from another company that are contracted for additional support. In another company it may be a multitude of people within their own company performing all levels of support.
10. Database Administration
Demand for database administrators remains high because of the ever-increasing interest in big data, BI and analytics.
In its 2016 Salary Guide, Robert Half Technology lists database administrator as one of the most in-demand specialties, noting that “more companies are using big data analytics to help inform business decisions and are relying on specialized personnel for managing and interpreting raw data.”
Recruiters say employers want people with extensive backgrounds in database administration and a deep understanding of data reporting tools and technologies such as Oracle, SQL, DB2 and Hadoop.
11. Security Compliance and Governance
Compensation for security pros keeps going up because demand for talented people is strong, and because security specialists play a critical role in most organizations.
According to Robert Half Technology’s 2016 Salary Guide, salaries in the security field will rise about 5% to 7% next year, ranging from $100,000 on up to nearly $200,000 on average.
12. Web Development
Web development continues to crack the Computerworld Forecast list of the top 10 most in-demand IT skills because organizations have come to rely heavily on the Web as a channel for connecting with customers, clients, partners and employees since they built their first websites a decade or two ago, IT leaders say.
While they don’t need Web developers to establish a Web presence anymore, they do need people with the ability to ensure that their sites are open and ready for business and being designed as per latest technology trends.
Conclusion
After viewing the given details, you can not only learn about the skills in demand but also design your career path. In the words of Stephen R. Covey, sharpening your saw is one of the vital habits of the most successful people.
