The pandemic in 2020 revealed a sharp demand for IT-related jobs as people were forced to work from home. With this increase, it was even more important for people in the industry to stay up-to-date with technology as well as maintaining top-notch skills.
Here is a list of the top 10 most desired skills in the IT industry:
- Leadership
Whether people hold positions of management or lower, adequate leadership skills are necessary for the IT industry. Problems can arise in any area or at any time. Being able to communicate, adapt to the situation, and self-manage are specific examples of good leadership qualities. Having such qualities could also lead to future promotions if the situation presented itself. Other leadership capabilities might include:
- Prioritization
- Delegation
- Accountability
- Performance Management
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
As AI capabilities become more common, having knowledge of the area, even if a person isn’t directly involved in its implementation, is extremely useful. They may need those skills later on if the company they work for does decide to increase the use of AI tools.
- Virtual Meetings
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the skill of being able to communicate through a virtual video conferencing medium to take part in virtual meetings incredibly significant. Even as the pandemic begins to fade away, this skill is likely to remain since it has become an instrumental part of corporate collaborations, problem-solving, and expansion.
- Communication
Perhaps the most crucial and underrated skill in any industry, communication within IT careers has been vital with a societal reliance on technology. Good communication skills allow other processes to progress smoothly, can quickly resolve issues, and develop strong relationships between companies and their employees.
- Data Privacy, Data Science, and Cybersecurity
These are considered the top in-demand skills that employers are looking for, regardless if it’s a part of the hiring process or in current employees. For current employees, taking the initiative to learn about these areas will distinguish them from other employees. Similarly, companies would value skills in data and cybersecurity over most educational experiences or accolades due to their significance in current society.
- Soft, or Core, Skills
Soft skills refer to things like emotion regulation in the workplace, relationships with other employees, mental adaptability to problems, flexibility, and open-mindedness. They are often analyzed alongside a person’s technical skills.
- Management
Specifically for projects and tasks, management skills are important. Individuals who can manage teams of other people to keep the business they work for in good standing with clients are highly valued—and sometimes hard to find. That makes good management skills in every employee benefits to all aspects of the company.
- Other Data Skills
Beyond privacy, science, and cybersecurity, other data skills such as analysis aids companies in covering all divisions of data protection for themselves and clients.
- Remote Collaboration
On the note of being able to partake in virtual meetings, overall collaboration through a remote environment is just as significant. Most businesses should return to in-person jobs in the near future, but the IT industry may not. It has seen such a large benefit in remote partnerships within the last year in particular and will likely continue that.
- Programming & Digital Implementation
At any stage of digital implementation in the workforce, companies will expand to keep up with technological advances. Skills in programming are a part of this. Both assist companies in looking toward an ever-growing technologically-centered future.
