The world is on an accelerated pace of advancement, and competition is tough. It would be difficult to acclimatize to this heavy competition without the right kind of skills.
It’s anticipated there will be a substantial increase of approximately 12 percent in technology-related employment by 2024. However, skills will change with the times, as well. As time goes by, old skills will become obsolete and there will be a need for more advanced skills, particularly in the IT industry. Let’s take a look at the Top 10 upcoming IT skills that can help foster a successful career:
1. Artificial Intelligence
Voice assistants such as Google assistant, Alexa, or Cortana are just the beginning. The future is going to see even more more innovations. We’ve seen AI increasingly enter all fields of life. You can order a pizza or book a cab with just a voice command nowadays.
AI has certainly been making lives convenient for people over the last couple of years, so it’s no surprise staffs would need to be competent in the field of artificial intelligence in subsequent years. The study of AI should help employees find excellent jobs in IT industries.
Even though some people are skeptical about the use of AI as they think the use of robots may put employment at risk, it’s not entirely true. In fact, by 2020, AI is expected to create 2.3 million jobs in the U.S.
2. Machine Learning and Data Analytics
Establishing a brilliant customer and client relationship is going to be a lot easier as machine learning constantly helps us predict many aspects of a customer accurately. In fact, it will help us predict many important things in advance and with such an accuracy that we don’t have to think twice about it.
With Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT) increasingly being used together these days, the future is bright and a lot of stunning advancement is expected to come our way. However, this will only be possible with exceptionally fast and accurate data analysis. Inaccurate data analysis, on the other hand, can cause severe damage.
As such, there is a huge need for brilliant IT workers fluent in machine learning and data analytics who can handle data efficiently and produce any desired results.
3. Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking
The Wanna Cry Ransomware attack shook up the world with 2,00,000 systems affected across 150 countries. It was just an eye opener and brought home the fact that cyber security needs improvement. Thus, there is a constant requirement for competent IT professionals with a deep knowledge of network security and firewalls.
Most importantly, there will be a huge need for strategists who are well versed in ethical hacking. The knowledge of ethical hacking eventually will help in predicting and keeping up with advancements in the hacking world. That way, strategists can produce the best and most effective cybersecurity products to prevent every possible attempt of intrusion in the future.
4. Mobile App Development
There has been outstanding growth in the e-commerce industry over the years. With more growth expected in the industry in subsequent years, businesses will need innovative and interactive apps that will require better and more advanced approaches to mobile app development.
This will drive demand for competent and creative mobile app developers. Developers with an excellent command of multiple programming languages such as Java, C++, C#, and Python, as well as UI and UX designs, are expected to be in huge demand in the coming years.
5. Software Development
It’s almost hard to imagine an organization that doesn’t use IT functions. Software development will continue to evolve with organizations’ constant need for ever more advanced software.
This will require competent and proficient developers with an exceptional command over multiple programming languages who can keep up with organizations’ increasing software needs and global trends in software development.
6. Cloud Computing and SaaS
With the extensive use of cloud hosting and dedicated servers, as well as the growing need for virtualization in Amazon AWS, Microsoft Hyper-V, and VMware for private cloud hosting, there will be a constant need for IT workers competent in cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS). Knowledge of virtualization, DevOps, containers, the entire cloud stack, and IPv6 will be an asset for those entering the IT industry.
7. BlockChain Development
The blockchain and cryptocurrency sector is new, but a lot of advancement is anticipated in this area in subsequent years. With the growing popularity of cryptocurrency over the last year, companies will be looking for competent developers with knowledge of BlockChain and smart contracts who can build decentralized applications.
So improving comprehension about BlockChain and knowledge of multiple programming languages such as DAPP, Peer to Peer Networking, Node.js basics, Public Key Cryptography, and Solidity should prove to be lucrative in the near and long term.
8. IT Education
With technology making huge leaps, there’s an increasing need for more competent IT educators who can explain complex technologies in simple ways. In fact, tremendous growth in the IT education sector is anticipated in subsequent years.
9. Robotics and Automation
With constant advancement in robotics and automation, many industries will get advanced machines that can bring about a signficant savings in time, effort, and cost. Although there has been fear around the idea of mechanization since the Industrial Revolution, machines can bring about a massive elevation in productivity by eliminating manual repetitive tasks and replacing them with automation. This leads to the necessity for workers with a command over robotics and automation skills in coming years.
10. Biotechnology
Biotechnology (a blend of biology and technology) is increasingly popular as innovations such as advanced vaccine production and genetic modification have proven to be massively effective in making lives healthier over the years. As such, the future of biotechnology is bright with many brilliant career options for promising biotechnology students.
James Grills is a technical writer with a passion for writing on emerging technologies in the areas of mobile application development and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. He is a marketing advisor currently associated with Cumulations Technologies, a mobile app development company in India.
