We are witnessing one of the biggest technology trends of our lifetime – the Internet of Things, which is poised to explode in the coming years. The Internet of Things is a rapidly evolving industry, and these skills will maximize your salary and marketability.
A physical world is merged with a digital one through the Internet of Things (IoT). A unique online identity is acquired by everyday objects installed with technology like Wi-Fi and sensors, and these objects can interact with their external environment. Businesses, individuals, and society at large may benefit from this infinite network of “smart” devices, which can reduce waste, increase safety, reduce inconvenience, improve quality of life, and reduce costs. The Internet of Things will more than double from 2021 to 2026, growing from just over $300 billion to over $650 billion.
IT forward-thinking professionals will benefit from a variety of challenging, and lucrative job opportunities as the Internet of Things grows. IoT will demand these IT skills in particular:
- BI (Business Intelligence)
Sensor data analysts, data center managers, predictive analytics experts, and software developers proficient in Apache Hadoop and NoSQL platforms are well-positioned to meet these demands. BI executives who are responsible for divining additional opportunities from the burgeoning Internet of Things will also need strong business acumen.
- IT Security
Would a hacker be able to access your entire network through your smart fridge? There is already a strong market for IT security professionals specializing in vulnerability assessment, PKI (public key infrastructure) security, ethical hacking, and wireless network security. Your career in information security will be further advanced if you have a thorough understanding of data ethics and privacy policies.
- User Interface and User Experience design
There will be all kinds of objects in the Internet of Things; some will have screens of any size, and others will not. As IoT providers strive to develop effective, user-friendly interfaces, talented user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers will become hot commodities. Service Design (human-centered design approach that guides users through complicated services via responsive web design) and Responsive Web Design (visuals that adjust dynamically to screen size, platform, and orientation).
- Mobile app development
As smart objects become more prevalent, the demand for mobile application development jobs will increase. Since over 90% of smartphone devices in circulation in the United States are operated on Apple iOS and Android platforms, application developers will be in high demand. In particular, mobile app developers who are experienced with external hardware and sensors will be in demand.
- Computer hardware engineering
The Internet of Things movement relies on computer hardware engineers to build the actual electronics. It will be very helpful for engineers to be able to develop and install Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other connectivity solutions. Soft skills like effective communication and conflict resolution will be helpful to hardware technicians.
- Software programming
The IoT development landscape is very diverse as the industry is still very young. Raspberry Pi, a single-board computer widely used for IoT projects, uses Python as its preferred programming language. Knowing C/C++ is a prerequisite if you want to dig deeper and program microcontrollers and Arduino boards.
