The advent of Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we do business. And more so, it has led to “a work-from-home revolution” that could shape how we’d interact in the years to come. With this, demand for technology continues to evolve from time to time, so it’s important to know what the current in-demand skills are.  And as Clifford Akumu writes, it is important to learn which skills are the most beneficial to learn today to increase your demand in the fast advancing industry

1. Data science

It is simply defined as the extraction of actionable insights from raw data. Commonly referred to as the “oil of the 21st century”, data carries the most importance and incalculable benefits in business, research and in our everyday lives.

Companies, whether a small start-up or a conglomerate are in continuous pursuit of understanding their data and how it can increase their profit margin.

And as such, there has been an increasing demand for data scientists. Most desired employers in data scientist role include programming skills, statistics, machine learning, data wrangling, data intuition and software engineering.

2. Cyber security

Cyber security is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data from malicious attacks.

Cyber threats are a global risk that government, non-governmental organisations, private sector and the global community must deal with.

Globally, cyber threat continues to evolve at a rapid pace. A report by Risk Based Security revealed that 7.9 billion records were exposed to data breaches in the first month of 2019 alone.

It remains the biggest challenge for companies of all sizes, as they invest heavily in order to make sure they are protected.

This, therefore, makes a job in cyber security and the skills required for these jobs would be up for grabs in the coming years.

3. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.

AI has been around for some time now, however, it is still evolving and growing.

Today, the science is used in a vast number of services and tools. LinkedIn 2020 Emerging Jobs Report states that hiring growth for the role of AI Specialist has increased by 74 per cent annually in the last four years.

AI is expected to change the way humans interact with the digital world. Some of the AI examples include smart assistants (like Siri and Alexa), social media monitoring tools for dangerous content or false news, manufacturing and drone robots, disease mapping and prediction tools and robo-advisors for stock trading among others.

4. Cloud Computing

Globally, more companies are switching from the traditional server infrastructure to cloud solutions, making cloud computing a lucrative job opportunity.

According to Indeed, cloud computing job openings in the USA increased by 107 per cent between 2016 and 2019.

Interestingly, most of the AI services are also provided by the cloud platforms.

For example, Amazon Web Services is currently the leading cloud service provider in the market, and so being AWS-certified IT professional in 2021 will be useful to improve one’s demand in the sector.

5. Python

Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics.

Python is used in software development, infrastructure management and data analysis. It is one of the most popular and sought-after programming languages today.

Python allows developers to work in some of the most popular growing tech trends such as mobile and Artificial Intelligence.

In order to be a Python developer, one needs to have expertise in Core Python, analytical skills and knowledge of web framework. 

6. Machine Learning

Machine Learning (ML) refers to the scientific study of algorithms and statistical models.

It enables IT systems to recognise patterns on the basis of existing algorithms and data sets and to develop adequate solution concepts.

Just like Artificial Intelligence, ML has become a buzzword synonymous with innovation. According to Indeed’s best jobs of 2019 study, Machine Learning engineer job openings increased by 344 per cent between 2015 and 2018.

To improve chances of landing a job as ML, one needs to have skills such as Java, TensorFlow, Natural Language Processing and Python, as these skills now have the highest demand.

7. Full Stack development

Full Stack Development refers to the development of both front end (client side) and back end (server side) portions of web application and websites.

Full stack web developers have the ability to design complete web application and websites.

Although not a new job, the rapid pace of technology change has made full stack developers a valuable asset for any company.

However, both front-end and back-end developers have high demand in many countries, but full-stack developers have even greater demand.

8. React Native (Mobile)

An open-source mobile application framework created by Facebook to develop apps for Android, iOS, Web and Universal Windows Platform.

It runs in a background process (which interprets the JavaScript written by the developers) directly on the end-device and communicates with the native platform via serialized data over an asynchronous and batched bridge.

9. Blockchain

Blockchain technology is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system.

A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain.

Skills within blockchain are valued. A study by Hired has found that the demand for blockchain engineers has increased by 517 per cent in the past year, making it one of the top tech skills for 2020.

10. Internet of Things 

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the internet-able nature of modern physical devices, vehicles, and buildings.

IoT is a new concept that has grown complex with room for a lot more developers.

According to Software.org, IoT is still yet to reach its full potential as there is a lack of skilled individuals in the field. This makes it one of the skills with high demand for 2020.