The 10 Essential Skills in Technology

 

Research indicates that being skilled in highly sought-after technology increases compensation, and information technology, or IT, continues to be one of the most adaptable and rapidly expanding fields. Consider mastering the following tech skills if you want to shift or advance in your career with new tech certifications and expertise. Headhunting for the most recent and sought-after skills is taking place. Technology now plays a more varied and significant role in day-to-day business operations, and you can take advantage of valuable employment opportunities. Master the right combination of software skills, technical experience, and practical expertise to impress your boss.

10. Cybersecurity

At least 2,935 publicly reported security breaches occurred before the fourth quarter of 2020, making it the worst cybersecurity year ever recorded. Executives are seeking to hire additional full-time security specialists, while others have increased budgets for cyberspace security by at least 55% in 2021. However, in the vast field of online security, where do you focus your technical mastery efforts? Cloud security and app integrity are expected to grow by 115% and 164%, respectively, even though all cybersecurity, cloud security, and application development security fields are impressive. 

App security code review, secure container security, and micro-services security are among the most sought-after skills for app development. This is a big win for DevSecOps, which will allow you to incorporate app security into the development cycle and earn premiums that are equivalent to 19% of your base pay. Specialists in cloud security can investigate cloud security architecture and infrastructure, public cloud security, Google cloud security, and Azure cloud security.

Cybersecurity certifications will continue to be powerful after 2021, attract high salaries, and defy the general trend. These Credentials are rewarded by many IT employers with an increase in base pay:

    Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP Advanced Security Practitioner from        CompTIA) 

    Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

    Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

9. Full Stack Developer

Developers are always in demand, especially front-end, back-end, and full-stack professionals with superior coding skills, even though this skill is not new in the technology industry.

 According to Indeed's list of the top tech skills for 2020, full-stack software development comes in at number two and is also growing at a rate of 161.9%. Since 2005, hiring rates for full-stack engineers have increased roughly 35% annually in the US. These coding abilities are in high demand right now all over the world:

• Django,
•  Python,
•  Go, 
• Swift,
•  React, 
• Angular,
•  Spring, 
•  Django,

 are the other programming languages that are used the most. JavaScript and its numerous coding variations continue to be the most popular, while Go is in high demand because there aren't enough developers who know how to use it well. Spring and Django are in high demand as back-end frameworks, while Angular and React top the list for valuable front-end development skills.

8. Blockchain

Blockchain is still relevant for crowdfunding, identity management, peer-to-peer payment platforms, digital voting, and file storage despite the unprecedented decline of cryptocurrencies in the past year. Since blockchain is so adaptable, many employers are looking for developers who know how to build decentralized apps and smart contracts. 

Database design, networking, and all relevant programming languages like JavaScript, Java, Solidity, Python, Go, and C++ are among the most sought-after blockchain skills. 

The average salary for blockchain engineers is currently $162,000, which is comparable to what Machine Learning specialists receive. Financial institutions and major banks are utilizing blockchain, and tech giants such as Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, and Amazon are developing blockchain services.

7. Cloud Computing

Skills in cloud computing are becoming highly marketable as more and more businesses switch from traditional physical server infrastructures to cloud-based solutions. Cloud platforms now host AI and machine learning services, and job openings have increased by 107% in the United States alone between 2017 and 2020. AWS, or Amazon Web Services, is the most prominent cloud-based service provider; acquiring expertise in this technology will increase your professional demand. 

AWS cloud solution architects have the highest tech certifications in the United States and Canada, while other cloud computing skills include DevOps, Microsoft, Kubernetes, Docker, and Azure. Having cloud computing skills will earn you an average of $130,272 more than non-certified colleagues. As more IT solutions are moving to cloud-based platforms, cloud engineering will continue to be in high demand in the technology industry.

6. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

The buzzwords AI (or artificial intelligence) and ML (or machine learning) are synonymous with a business environment that is becoming increasingly innovative. Today, a lot of tools and services are based on ML and AI, and the rate of hiring specialists in artificial intelligence has increased by 74% in the past few years. 

Indeed's 2019 study of the best tech jobs found that there had been a 344% increase in openings for machine learning engineers over the previous four years. In the United States, these ML and AI specialists earn up to $140,000 per year with knowledge of python, natural language processing, Java, TensorFlow, and R.

 They can also build chatbots, one of the most sought-after ML and AI specializations. Being a master earns you the highest IT salaries in 2021 and beyond because several major organizations are relying on AI-operated customer service interactions for website inquiries.

 You can use a wide range of tech jobs for your portfolio as an AI specialist, including software engineering, product management, and data sciences. Neural networks, unsupervised learning, deep learning, recommender systems, and anomaly detection are all examples of machine learning.

5. Virtual, Augmented, and Extended Reality

the collaboration between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR); referred to as Extended Reality (XR), and numerous industries, including education, manufacturing, entertainment, advertising, and health, are adopting XR technology. 

While the full impact of XR technology is expected to be seen in the next few years, there is a need for additional specialists who have mastered this technology. Software specialists in this technology segment are bound to be in very high demand, and the growth rate for hiring VR/AR engineers has increased to 1400%. XR is being used by leading companies like NVIDIA, Facebook, Google, HTV, and Snapchat, which have seen unprecedented growth as a result of the pandemic. 

Expert projections put the market for AR/VR at $6.1 billion by 2017 but increased to a whopping $215 billion in 2021. Additionally, there is a shortage of XR quality assurance specialists who can troubleshoot algorithms and interpret the output for use by other technical departments.

4. Analytics and Data Science

Big data revenues are expected to rise by 14.1% in 2026, and the skills of data analytics and data science are in high demand. Big data is always near these two fields. 84% of tech companies are launching big data initiatives and advanced analytics to improve accuracy and speed up decision-making processes.

 For the past three years, data science has topped LinkedIn's report on emerging jobs. Even though the two tech careers are very similar, analysis is a basic tech skill. Data science, on the other hand, gets better over time. Finance, software development, healthcare, education, and e-retail are just a few of the industries that require data specialists. 

According to Glassdoor's annual Best Jobs in America report, data scientists have the third-best jobs in the United States and earn an average salary of $101,000. By providing an overview of the organization, analysis, and interpretation of big data, specialists in data analysis and science facilitate improved decision-making. You will be able to construct projects with an understanding of neural networks, classifiers, and ML algorithms once you have mastered this technical skill.

3. IoT or Internet of Things and Big Data

The term "Internet of Things" (IoT) is very broad. It includes devices that communicate with one another and everything else that is connected to the internet. The Internet of Things, also known as edge computing, encompasses smartphones, wearable technology, and various smart sensors. 

Data security is a major concern with connected devices, which is why techies who have mastered IoT technology are taught after. The Internet of Things sector is poised to become the next technology career boom, with an average salary of $101,000. 

The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that IoT will have an $11 trillion impact on the economy by 2025. Currently, 94% of businesses are investing in IoT readiness initiatives. To master this technology, you must identify security-risky solutions, network components, and data management for prototype production.

2. Robotics

Because hardware and software engineering are covered in robotics, you will work with both real and virtual bots. Specialties like automated manufacturing, exploration robots, medical equipment, and entertainment animatronics are all included in robotics. Software that functions as virtual bots is used for automated tasks like virtual assistance and customer support.

 LinkedIn claims that the $1.2 trillion AI sector includes the robotics industry, which includes both virtual and physical bots, and has seen annual growth of 40%. As a robotic engineer, you will be able to operate and adjust robotic real-world functions such as moving across the terrain in disaster recovery or healthcare. 

You can earn up to $181,430 with AI certification. You can use languages like SQL, Python, Visual Basic, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to program a physical or virtual robot to provide movement or flight solutions. 

To become an RPA or robotics process automation engineer, you will need a variety of technical skills for developing, analyzing, and designing solutions. To build RPA platforms, you should be familiar with the Microsoft.NET Framework and have experience with business processes, communication, and process mapping.

1. User Experience and User Interface Designer

The terms "user experience" and "user interface" both fall under the same category of technical skills. However, there are significant differences. Masters in UI can design app and website user interfaces that are more appealing, user-friendly, and fluid.

 A lot of testing and research is done by a user experience specialist to fundamentally consider how users interact with a website or business app. This expert has a career that combines creativity and analytics by working with UI designers and web or app developers. While UX professionals use testing and analysis to meet their client's needs, UI designers concentrate on layout, visuals, and the overall feel and appearance of a virtual product page. 

Adobe says that 87% of managers say hiring more UX specialists is their top priority, and there are more than 14,000 open positions in the US alone. Being proficient with design tools and platforms like AI, VR/AR, and wearables are necessary to master skills as a UI/UX designer.