The world of IT is ever-evolving. By staying aware of emerging career trends, you can position yourself to take advantage of rising opportunities while ensuring you avoid potential pitfalls.
If you are wondering which IT career trends deserve your attention, here are a few that should be on your radar.
A Focus on Leadership Skills
As IT becomes ingrained in more areas of business, tech professionals are increasingly called on to function as leaders within project groups and the organization. It isn’t uncommon for IT workers to be tasked with presenting to management, taking the reins on large cross-department projects, and even coordinating the activities of virtual teams. Leadership skills are a must to make this happen.
Soft Skills as a Priority
Additional soft skills are also in high demand. Some of the most called for include communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and time management.
Many of the most desired soft skills represent the changing approach to IT in business. Cross-departmental teams and remote workers make communication skills more important than ever before while complex projects with fluctuating requirements have made adaptability and problem solving increasingly relevant.
Time management has always been a priority. But, as projects become more complex and many companies focus on quick results to stay ahead of the competition, strong time management skills are a must for career-minded professionals.
Analytics Certifications Are In-Demand
As companies rely on their data to accomplish more than ever before, analytics certifications have become a hot commodity. Today, many organizations are flooded with incoming data, especially with the high adoption of cloud-based resources and connections with IoT devices.
Few areas of IT, and even business in general, go completely untouched by data, so professionals who have the skills to gain valuable insights from complex datasets are highly desirable. This is especially true for those who can translate that information into something actionable and easy to understand, particularly when the data impacts a work area that isn’t necessarily familiar with tech terminology.
Strong Security Skills
Since data plays a vital role in business, securing company systems has also become increasingly important. Even IT professionals who don’t specifically work in a security position can benefit from advancing their security-related knowledge and skills, especially when focused on the cloud and the protection of company data.
However, vendor-specific security certifications aren’t as in-demand as they once were, particularly when it comes to cybersecurity. Vendor-specific training tends to concentrate on available features in their products, instead of the challenges businesses face today, making them a less valuable credential.
Professionals who can showcase they have the right skills, experience, and certifications, such as those mentioned above, may experience more success when seeking new positions or in their career as a whole.
If you would like to know more about IT career trends or are seeking new opportunities, the skilled professionals at The Squires Group can help. Contact us to speak with one of our knowledgeable team members today and see how our expertise can benefit you.