Due to the increasing demand for IT skills, many people are looking for ways to learn and get certified in these skills. The top IT skills that employers are looking for are data science, software development, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and testing.
Data science refers to the application of analytics to acquire and assess large data sets. To become an effective data scientist, you must be able to process, analyze and visualize large amounts of data. Common tools for data science include SAS, R, and SPSS.
R is quickly increasing in popularity. Knowing how to code in R could be the ticket to a high-paying IT job.
New software is increasingly important in today’s world as businesses are using more software in their operations. Software developers are expected to have exceptional skills in search engine optimization (SEO), agile programming, cloud computing, object-oriented programming (OOP), and user experience (UX). They must be able to efficiently design, document, and test software.
Cybersecurity is also a very high-demand IT skill that employers are looking for. This skill refers to the protection of computer networks from unauthorized access and the disruption or destruction of computer networks.
A security technician should have excellent knowledge in encryption, firewall management, anti-virus software, and code testing. There are courses available from IT certifications that teach these skills.
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Cloud computing is an emerging area of IT that lies at the intersection of computer science & engineering, public administration, business, and law. The cloud has become a hot topic in technology news as companies have been looking to store their data in the cloud rather than on their own servers.
Leadership is needed in cloud computing as many functions are still being run on the traditional local computer networks, which are slower and less secure. Employers are looking for candidates who understand cloud services such as Windows Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Rackspace, and Google Apps.
Testing skills are also becoming very important in today’s fast-paced environment. As an IT professional, you need to be able to test software thoroughly while anticipating issues before they become problems. These skills include programming, functional testing, and requirement analysis.
Functional testing is the verification that a software function or group of functions operates as expected. This is typically done by testing the feature or system in question against an agreed-upon set of acceptance criteria. To do this effectively, one should be able to analyze and document the user requirements, test cases, and scenarios, monitor progress and verify results.
Software testers also need programming skills to automate repetitive tasks and create scripts for repetitive manual testing tasks. Testers should have experience in web-based applications but also understand desktop applications such as Microsoft Office 365 or OneDrive for Business.
In conclusion, it is becoming increasingly important to have at least one of these top IT skills. Although the information above may not directly relate to data storage, storage professionals should stay informed on new technologies related to the IT world to be able to build better systems and work with people from other departments.
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