Four In-Demand Tech Skills Businesses Are Looking For Today
Technology companies, and indeed all organizations in the digital economy, are slowly realizing that digital expertise and technical skills are essential to employees in the digital age. However, the tech scene is also known for its rapid growth and setbacks.
As technology expands throughout life and daily operations, business owners have begun to integrate it into their corporate models. Professional workers who seek to enter or be at the top of the technology industry often wonder what skills employers want. Staying up-to-date on business trends and being willing to learn something new can help aspiring IT professionals stay ahead of the curve.
However, it is more important to combine the interest with the technical skills the business requires from there. That's not just because technology rarely stagnates; it's also because some core skills and programming languages become the foundation for the next big thing. Based on the direction companies are taking with technology, here are four in-demand tech skills that can benefit businesses today.
1. Programming and Coding
Coding is the heart of any digital technology product or service. Without it, the apps, websites and mobile apps that people trust would not exist. The programming language skills a company needs can vary depending on which platforms make up the internal technology stack. Many organizations also work with several different providers for cloud-based services, which can complicate things a bit.
Some key programming languages that most web and application programming and development positions require include Java, .NET, PHP, Ruby, etc. together with related frameworks and database. But other languages like Python are becoming widely used and in demand due to the emergence of artificial intelligence and big data.
Capturing the details of the specific programming language your company uses can be critical. Building a portfolio of multiple coding and programming languages experiences or
certifications can be attractive to young technologists. However, knowledge of how to use coding methods is a fundamental skill that companies need.
2. Data analysis and data science
Companies that collect large amounts of data can generate great value to them if they have a big data team who can understand it all. These business data often comes from multiple sources, creating the need to sync everything. It also needs to make all this information easily digestible by people in non-technical roles.
That means someone has to build a data warehouse, make sure it works properly, and deliver the right extracted insights and information to the leaders’ desks. A company may have a team of formal or big data specialists spread throughout the organization. Regardless of the approach chosen, data science and avanced analytics organize and break down the information a company receives.
The ability to collect and interpret the meaning of different sets of data is the essence of big data analytics. A company can collect all the information it wants. This may involve analyzing how many customers have purchased a product or service, determining the amount of traffic to the company's main website, or determining business overheads to generate profits. But without knowing how the data fits into the big picture and whether that affects the results, the data is not very useful.
3. Project Management
Project management is not just a desirable skill for tech companies; it is an essential part of developing digital products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner. Companies need someone who oversees application development from start to finish and coordinates all the work of each programmer. This is where project managers and their knowledge of agile development methodology come in. They need a holistic understanding of how digital projects are developed – from concept to prototype to fully developed digital product or service.
An understanding of various methods such as Scrum and Agile will stand out in any curriculum. Companies need Scrum experts who have learned to break projects into sprint phases, allowing developers to build high-value features quickly. More and more companies are developing their own apps as e-commerce and customer service move to mobile and self-service platforms. This creates the need for project leaders who can take applications from concept to full release.
4. UX/UI
User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) functions focus on optimizing and improving the quality of the customer experience with websites and online channels. When programmed into an app or website, ideas become reality. However, the way a developer thinks an app or website should work can be completely different from the end user's perception. They primarily ensure that all content displayed on the web is accessible and attractive to customers and guide software developers and programmers to make websites better for public users.
Website and app development teams need people who are experts in user experience to ensure these outages don't occur. Testing applications and platforms from a user perspective require a combination of people and technology skills. Knowing how to switch between user and developer experiences helps ensure your app doesn't fall into the market. Developing these skills allows you to suggest new content optimization methods to increase user engagement.
Technological skills development
Most business leaders know that the role of technology operations is not going away anytime soon. In fact, these functions are evolving into new automation, AI, and virtual reality applications. New courses related to big data and user experience are on the rise as distinct competitive advantages become more important. The technology skills associated with and supporting this competitive advantage can benefit businesses and IT professionals who want to contribute.
