There are greetings associated with holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. On October 31, it’s “Happy Halloween,” on December 25, “Merry Christmas,” and on November 1, “Happy New Year?” No, that’s not a typo, but that is what our President and CEO, Chris O’Neill, likes to wish his staff on the first working day of November. Why? It’s because the last two months of the year always seem to fly by (helped along of course by the holiday season). Think about it, November started just last week and we’re already halfway through the month!
So, with that in mind, it’s time to set your focus towards 2021 – a year we’ve all been eagerly anticipating – and align your goals to match employer’s needs. Here then, are some of the most sought-after tech skills (presented in alphabetical order) that you should consider working towards today.
The Most Sought-After Tech Skills for 2021
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines in order to perform tasks typically handled by humans. Examples from every day life include Google Maps (a web mapping service), facial detection and recognition (think face ID for unlocking your iPhone), and chatbots (a computer program that simulates human conversation through voice commands or text chats). Machine Learning (ML) is an application of AI that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being programmed (think email spam filtering).
According to the World Economic Forum, AI and ML will create 133 million new jobs by 2025. Skills to consider adding to your resume then would include TensorFlow, Python, Java, R, and NLP (natural language processing). Once acquired, jobs that can be pursued would include Big Data Engineer, Business Intelligence Developer, AI Engineer, and Machine Learning Engineer.
Cybersecurity
The global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has driven an unprecedented increase in remote work. Due to this, organizations are seeing a massive increase in cyberattacks. And with or without a vaccine, you can expect remote work to continue well into 2021 and beyond. That’s why organizations are ramping up their cybersecurity efforts and placing a premium on cybersecurity experts.
Job roles for cybersecurity professionals range from Ethical Hackers to Security Engineers to Chief Security Officers. To obtain a job as a Cybersecurity Specialist, the skills needed would include Information Security, Network Security, and Vulnerability Assessment. Other skills include knowledge of programming language basics, network fundamentals, systems administration, and risk assessment, among others.
Cloud Computing
Just as the coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for cybersecurity efforts, it has also boosted growth in cloud computing. At PSCI, our days begin with a daily Zoom check-in call and it’s likely yours do as well (whether they be for business or pleasure). By 2022, Gartner predicts that the public cloud market will be a $331.2 billion market – one that is currently dominated by Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
For those who can design, plan, manage, maintain, and support cloud computing, job opportunities will be endless. The most in-demand cloud computing skills include AWS, Azure, GCP, Java, Linux, software development, DevOps, Docker, Kubernetes, and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
Data Science
Data science is a field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from both structured and unstructured data sets. In 2017 it was listed by LinkedIn as the fastest-growing job and a 2018 Future of Jobs report named Data Scientists as the top emerging in-demand role by 2022 – a distinction that still holds true today.
Data Analysts, BI Analysts, Data Architects, and Chief Data Architects are just some of the more in-demand data science related jobs. Skills required for these positions include fundamentals of data analysis and knowledge of how data is collected, stored, organized, analyzed, and interpreted. Other skills include statistics, data wrangling, software engineering, and programming skills such as Python, R, Java, Julia, Go, and Scala.
Software Development
In today’s online world, you’re almost always in front of a computer screen, tablet, or smartphone. That means the demand for developers who can design, install, test, and maintain appropriate systems for web, mobile, and software applications remains high. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2029, software developer jobs are expected to increase by 22%.
Those looking to specialize in mobile development should gain Android and iOS mobile developer skills. Those looking to specialize in web development should place focus on Social Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) skills.
Programming
Just like software developers, who can also be referred to as programmers, a computer programmer is a person who creates computer software – and these individuals, as well as the skills they possess, have been in-demand for quite some time. Presently, some of the most in-demand programming languages are Go, JavaScript, Java, and Python. As for the top paying programming languages, Scala, Go, Ruby, and Objective C top the list.
We hope you find this information useful as you plan for the year ahead. Happy New Year!
