Top 10 IT Skills you Need to Conquer 2021

Technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and with a new year comes the latest, most in-demand tech skills. Hence, employers in the current competitive climate, need to take notice of the skills that can help them recruit the right persons for the role.

Having the right skills can help applicants secure the most rewarding roles; therefore it’s essential to invest in acquiring the right skills. Therefore, to get ahead of the competition; and stand out from the crowd, you need to learn the most in-demand IT and tech skills for 2021.

1. Mobile Development

With the increasing use of mobile from gaming to shopping, mobile development skills are in high demand. According to Statista, the global mobile population amounted to 4 billion unique users; this is more than half of the world’s population that uses a mobile. The use of mobile continues to grow; so it might be a good time to invest in developing some skills in mobile. The main mobile skills are Android and iOS mobile developer skills.

2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has been around for some time now, however it is still evolving and growing. It’s expected to change the way humans interact with the digital world.

The World Economic Forum says artificial intelligence (AI) will create 133 million new jobs by 2025. At its core, AI refers to programs that can perform tasks such as image and speech recognition, image classification and facial recognition. Because AI can perform these tasks faster and more accurately than humans, AI skills are becoming highly sought-after skills.  

Machine learning (ML) is an application of AI that mines data to deliver insights and execute rule-based tasks efficiently. Thus, ML applications are applied for data analytics, data mining, and pattern recognition. Therefore, ML professionals can specialize by acquiring skills in neural networks, natural language processing (NLP), robotics and deep learning. 

Skills such as TensorFlow, Python, Java, R, and NLP are in the highest demand and in fact learning to build chatbots is another in-demand skill that comes under ML. Machine Learning jobs include ML engineers, developers, researchers, and robotics and computer vision engineers.  

3. Software Development (web, mobile)

Developers are responsible for designing, installing, testing and maintaining appropriate systems for web, mobile and software. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developer jobs are expected to increase by 21% by 2028 and application developer jobs by 28%. The reason for this growth is the increasing demand for computer software and mobile phone apps.

Therefore, those looking to specialize in mobile development should gain Android and iOS mobile developer skills. Likewise, those looking to specialize in web development should acquire Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Manager skills along with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills.  

4. Data Analytics and Data Science

With more and more businesses relying on data to drive decision-making, data-driven skills are highly valued and that’s why demand for Data Analysts, Data Architects, Database Administrators, Business Analysts, Chief Data Officers, and similar roles continues to rise.  A 2018 Future of Jobs report crowned Data Scientists and Data Analysts as the top emerging in-demand role by 2022. 

Skills required for these positions include fundamentals of data analysis and knowledge of how data is collected, stored, organized, analyzed and interpreted, and how to specifically apply these skills to different domains including finance, sales, marketing, operational management and human resource management.

Data science obtains insights and information out of data, using a combination of various tools, algorithms, and machine learning principles. Data scientists are much needed in key industries like finance, banking, and healthcare. 

Some of the data science skills sought after by employers include programming skills, statistics, data wrangling, data intuition and software engineering, and machine learning, including supervised learning using tree-based models and neural networks, as well as unsupervised learning using k-means clustering technique and hierarchical clustering. Specific programming skills for data scientists include Python, R, Java, Julia, Go and Scala.

5.Cybersecurity

Almost every digital business faces cybersecurity threats, making cybersecurity one of the top technology trends in 2020 and beyond. Job roles for cybersecurity professionals range from the ethical hacker to security engineer to Chief Security Officer. 

According to a 2018 global IT skills and salary study conducted by Global Knowledge, IT professionals with security certifications tend to have significantly higher average salaries; around 15% more than those without them.  Hence, those wanting to advance in their careers by specializing in security will find that certification is an effective way to validate pertinent skills and show a current or prospective employer that they’re qualified and properly trained.

Cybersecurity, Information Security, Network Security, likewise Vulnerability Assessment are the best skills to learn to obtain a job as a Cybersecurity Specialist. Other skills include knowledge of programming language basics, network fundamentals, systems administration, how to mitigate vulnerabilities, how to perform digital forensic analysis, also risk assessment.

6.Cloud computing/Amazon Web Services

The demand for qualified professionals in this field continues to grow; thus it is expected to be one of the high in-demand tech skills for 2021. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the biggest names in cloud services; so companies will require skilled individuals to create applications within the environment.

Gartner predicts by 2022, the public cloud market will be a $331.2 billion market opportunity dominated by market leader Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, likewise Google Cloud.  

The most in-demand cloud computing skills include; Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, GCP, Java, Linux, software development, DevOps, Docker, Kubernetes, also Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). 

7.Internet of Things (IoT)

IT, in general, can be really competitive for candidates; however, one of the fields within IT is IoT, which has room for a lot more developers. IoT is still one of the growing sectors of the tech world. According to Software.org, IoT is yet to reach its full potential as there is a lack of skilled individuals in the field. This makes IoT skills high in demand for 2020.

8. Machine Learning

Machine learning is one of the most innovative and exciting fields moving into the future; making it one of the most profitable skills you can learn. According to McKinsey, 49% of companies are currently exploring or planning to use machine learning.

Machine learning can be applied to every industry, including healthcare, education, finance, etc. The possibilities are endless; and you can apply your machine learning skills to a role that suits your personality and interests.

9. UI/UX Design

While they’re in the same family, UI and UX are different. UI (user interface) specialists design interfaces for websites and apps to be visually appealing, flow well, and be easy for users to navigate. UX (user experience) specialists do a lot of research and testing to consider every element of how the user will interact with the company and website, coordinating with developers and UI designers.

Ultimately, UI is better for those who want to focus on the visuals, layout, and general look and feel of a page or product. UX is better for those who want to use analysis and testing to help a business seamlessly meet their users’ needs.

10. Blockchain

Originally devised for the digital currency Bitcoin, blockchain has evolved. The tech community is now finding other potential uses for the technology, such as peer-to-peer payments, crowdfunding, file storage, identity management, digital voting, etc.

Some of the blockchain skills you should know include networking, cryptography computing, database design, and programming languages ranging from Java, JavaScript, and C++ to Go, Solidity, and Python.

Which technological skills will you learn now or come 2021?

Any of these profitable technical skills will set you well on your way to a successful new tech career in 2021 and beyond. Now it just comes down to which is best suited for your personality and interests.

Whether you’re brand-new to coding and tech, or you have some experience already and are ready to narrow down and specialize in a specific area, there are a lot of opportunities (here at Terraskills) to level up your skills without spending a fortune.

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Culled from: ToolBox & TechnoJobs