As in years past, the technology sector is still in a constant state of flux and is creating more and better-paying jobs every day.
With technology becoming more and more streamlined and jumping from mainframe to server to cloud, there are ample opportunities available in the industry. The systems of today are all about collaborating and optimizing and the key decision makers in these areas are investing in these new architectures.
Cloud computing, big data, and enterprise technology were the big news in 2018, but these days productivity tools and “as-a-service” features are all the rage. The playing field of business has undergone a sea change and IT is the steam engine keeping the locomotive chugging down the rails.
With the state of the economy still up in the air, it’s inevitable that organizations and corporations will make cut-backs and layoffs, but the coffers for expanding IT budgets are bursting full.
ComputerWorld’s survey of managers in charge of hiring for IT reveals that over 33% of them plan to hire new workers in 2018, a figure up from 29% just the previous year.
If that’s not eye-opening enough, consider this: according to CompTIA’s Industry Outlook for 2018, the job market will grow as much as 22% through the year 2020.
Employers are on the lookout for IT professionals who can cater to the demands of the burgeoning, cross-dimensional markets like cloud computing.
So what does that mean for IT professionals? With low-cost online courses for IT pros popping up all over the internet, this is the best possible time to pick up some new skills for the old toolbox and ready themselves for a leap to the next big thing. For anyone already working in the field, or considering making a switch to that career track, now would be the time to do so.
Here’s a list of the new IT skills and tools you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve in 2018:
Security
Security is a top priority in 2018. The Pentagon, all on its own, plans to add 4,000 jobs to protect the US networks from cyber attacks. Private sector interests are also following the government’s lead, particularly in regards to mobile devices, to better protect their users against spam, malware, and system infiltration.
Job opportunities in system security will be in perpetual high demand as hackers continue to work on that next, best way to spring the mousetrap. Employers will be on the lookout for professionals who are adept at multiple disciplines, including firewall deployment, threat detection, and technology for decryption.
Skill Builders: Certified Ethical Hacker, CompTIA Security+, CISSP
SaaS + The Cloud
With physical data centers quickly becoming obsolete, companies are turning their attention to the cloud, specialization in both SaaS, as well as cloud computing, will be indispensable skills for IT professionals in the coming year.
Skill Builders: VMware vCloud Director and System Center
Big Data
This is the focus of many companies in 2018. Many of these millions of positions will remain unfilled, which means this market has considerable demand that is not being met. Now is the perfect time to capitalize on such a demand.
Skill Builders: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerView, SQL Server 2017 Business Intelligence
Networking
There’s no limit to the opportunities for IT professionals in 2018 and it shows no sign of stalling anytime soon. The demand for skilled network managers remains every bit as strong as it was in years past.
Skill Builders: Cisco CCNA, Microsoft Network Monitoring, CompTIA Network+
If you are fresh out of college and still have no clear idea what to do career-wise, why not give IT sector a chance? Opportunities are wide and many and tech-savvy people usually have no problem to fit in and find something they are excellent at. Brush up your IT skills and you won’t regret it.