Six Super Skills for Information Technology Jobs
Read about top skills in information technology and learn how they can open the door to trending IT careers.
By Sarah Stevenson
Forget the Information Age and the Internet Age. Some researchers are calling the information technology of today the Broadband Age or even the Convergence Age, thanks to our "always-on" media environment that delivers information and communications to our fingertips on a near-constant basis.
High-speed broadband access via computers, phones and other devices brings data, audio and video together in an ever-more-complex convergence, delivering it to individual consumers as well as nearly every workplace environment—from retail to health care to the technology sector itself. Examine the trends that this new era is bringing to business and the information technology industry, and it's easy to see where the jobs will be in the near future.
Consumer-driven applications—such as games, social networking and downloaded media—network security, and virtualization technologies continue to be growing fields. Another major trend is called software as a service, or SaaS, which refers to software applications accessed and used via the Internet, rather than installed locally on your computer.
A third trend in the tech industry is cloud computing. Cloud computing uses the Internet to extend the existing capabilities of a company's information technology, from software applications to virtual servers to data storage. Software as a service is a type of cloud computing; another type is called "utility computing," and refers to storage, virtual servers and other resources made available to IT departments on demand. In this way, the Internet becomes a "cloud" or aggregation of devices that provide an organization with ancillary computing power.
Information Technology's Hot New Jobs
IT professionals are in demand in every area. Here are some of the hot new information technology jobs to look forward to:
- As indicated by industry trends, security specialists and network engineers will continue to be in high demand.
- Network and data security will be of increasing importance as more companies rely on the complex networks used in cloud computing enterprises.
- Also critical to the future of cloud computing and software as a service are virtual systems managers, who manage the operation and security of the virtual servers that make up the cloud computing environment.
IT professionals with business skills will also be in demand in the job market:
- Capacity managers and other IT resource planners evaluate the efficiency, capabilities, and financial viability of a company's information technology resources.
- Sourcing specialists determine the best methods of meeting a business's staffing and subcontracting needs, whether it's outsourcing to another vendor or acquiring software as a service.
- Those with knowledge of the health care business can expect a boom in the area of electronic health records management.
Six Top Skills for Today's Information Technology Job Market
Computerworld's 2010 Forecast Survey reported six skill sets that are highly valuable in the information technology job market:
- Programming and Application Development: Businesses are looking for IT professionals with the ability to develop new projects, particularly those with knowledge of specialized or open-source developer platforms such as .Net, Java, and Ruby on Rails.
- Technical Support: Technical support skills will always be extremely marketable, especially as businesses expand. Growth in business usually means growth in the IT department as well.
- Networking: With the growing trends of cloud computing and software as a service increasingly affecting businesses, there will be excellent opportunities for information technology professionals with networking skills.
- Project Management: IT professionals with business, management, or project management experience will be pleased to know that project managers continue to be in high demand.
- Security: Companies all across the board, from data storage systems to energy providers, continue to require security specialists to address the increasingly complex security environment and neutralize threats.
- Business Intelligence: Another business-related IT skill is business intelligence, or the use of computer technology to pinpoint and analyze business-related data that is critical to areas such as revenue reporting, historical performance analysis and future planning.
Information Technology Degrees and Certifications
Most information technology careers, including engineers and systems analysts, require a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or engineering. More highly skilled jobs, including management positions, may demand a master's degree. However, computer support specialists and other help desk positions may be open to those with a high school diploma or associate's degree. Those with highly specialized skills in networking, security, or specific hardware and software products often acquire separate professional certifications in those areas.
