THESE REQUIRED SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR IT DEPARTMENT
To determine the most in-demand IT skills of the year, we analyzed Global Knowledge’s most popular training courses as well as the following data collected from over 9,000 IT professionals.
Most pursued IT certifications
The most challenging areas of hiring
Top technology investment areas
Weakest IT skills
We also considered the skills that will be most important during the economic recovery – a major factor for this year’s list as organizations of all sizes grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond.
Heads up! IT Skills and Salary Survey 2023 is open!
IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO INVEST IN YOUR IT SKILLS OR START A NEW CAREER PATH THIS YEAR, THESE ARE AREAS TO CONSIDER
- Cyber security
- Cloud computing
- Data analytics and data science
- Programming
- IT service management
- Virtualization
1. CYBERSECURITY
As many organizations have been forced to slow or re-prioritize IT projects and investments, they need to think more about which skills will help them recover. A recent survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed that organizations are prioritizing cybersecurity skills whether they are in the midst of an economic downturn or experiencing slow growth.1
The number of attacks has increased since the start of the pandemic, with phishing emails increasing by 667% since February.2
Before COVID-19, cybersecurity was still a priority. More than 50% of global IT decision-makers expect their organization to invest in cybersecurity this year. And for the fifth year in a row, cyber security is the most challenging area to recruit in IT.3
2. CLOUD COMPUTING
But the main reason cloud expertise is so crucial is that it intersects with all the other skills on this list.
The cloud has changed the game. Led by platforms such as AWS and Microsoft Azure, the cloud is the perfect tool to open up new revenue channels through the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Other topics such as data analytics, networking, project management, and cybersecurity have been significantly impacted by cloud adoption.
Cloud computing is also the second-highest area of IT investment and the second-most challenging area of recruitment for decision-makers. 3
In terms of their role in economic recovery, cloud administrator and cloud architect are two of the most recession-resistant IT positions. Some cloud deployments and investments can be accelerated despite the pandemic.
3. DATA ANALYTICS AND DATA SCIENCE
New data will continue to be collected, pandemic or not. Data analysts are a hot commodity because organizations need professionals who can store and manage data. There is a need for data scientists to dig into this data and understand how it can be used to solve problems and make informed decisions.
However, it was a double-edged sword as organizations struggled to manage the amount of new data. It is a major challenge in IT and is exacerbated by the fact that decision-makers cannot find enough qualified individuals with this specific skill set.
“Data is critical to organizations and governments because it helps leaders make decisions based on facts and trends,” said Donovan Scott, Product Leader, at Global Knowledge.
For IT professionals whose organizations are currently in economic crisis, more than half say data analytics will be an important skill as they navigate the path back to growth.1
Data analysts and scientists are already playing a big role in the healthcare industry in the fight against COVID-19.
4. PROGRAMMING
The number of computer programming jobs is expected to decline by seven percent by 2028.10 But the number of jobs in coding, a subset of programming, is expected to increase
As mobile apps grow in popularity, so will the need for coders. As network complexity increases, there is a need to automate the configuration and operational tasks.
As organizations become more data-driven, the demand for programmers increases, as do their salaries. IT professionals who work in programming or application development earn more than $110,000 per year in the US and Canada.3 Certified professionals earn nearly $140,000 per year.
5. MANAGEMENT OF IT SERVICES
IT Service Management, most commonly associated with ITIL®, will undoubtedly play a major role in the recovery effort. Organizational goals are likely to fluctuate in the coming months, so using a set of detailed best practices to help align IT operations with business strategies will be essential.
As organizations rely on a remote workforce, ITIL® certified professionals will play a major role in improving the capabilities of a physically disparate team and managing the entire IT lifecycle during this tumultuous time.
The ITIL® Foundation is the most popular certification in the world this year, holding 17% of our IT Skills and Salary Report respondent base.3 IT professionals who are certified
6. VIRTUALIZATION
Virtualization remains a useful way to reduce IT costs and increase IT agility, two capabilities that are in high demand today.
Virtualization is a key concern for companies of all sizes – this year it’s the 8th largest technology focus area worldwide. 3 Decision-makers are still heavily invested in this concept and employees seek these skills.
According to a Spiceworks report, virtualization adoption is expected to see double-digit growth in the next two years.12 Server virtualization is already used by 92% of enterprises. Spiceworks predicts that application virtualization rates will increase from 39% today to 56% by 2022.
