5 Tech Skills In Demand for 2023

In recent years, recruiters and hiring managers have been forced to adjust their hiring approaches. While skills have always factored into the end decision on whether or not to hire an applicant, they now carry more weight, as the demand for talent surpasses the labor supplies. With the need for tech talent still in high demand, recruiters will be on the lookout for applicants with a range of competencies. If you’re considering a career in tech, you’ll want to make sure that your skill set matches the industry’s top needs in the coming year.

Cybersecurity

From random individuals to targeted businesses and corporations, there is a new cyber attack happening on the web every 39 seconds. And with modern technology and the internet an unavoidable staple in today’s society, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Individuals, employees, and organizations all require an understanding of cyber threats and the tools and support to stop them before they become costly.

From reputation to loss of funds, businesses in particular understand how much is at stake when faced with cyber threats. That’s where cybersecurity experts come in. It’s also why cybersecurity tech careers are in high demand. Necessary IT technician skills in this field include network, cloud, and application security and penetration testing. Those working in cybersecurity should also understand the fundamentals of intrusion detection, risk assessment, and risk management and mitigation.

Data Literacy

In an increasingly digital world, data is an extremely valuable resource. More and more businesses are relying on data to inform their decisions, increase their exposure, optimize procedures, and boost productivity in an effort to raise profits. That being said, it takes a great deal of knowledge and time to collect and analyze data.

The result of this need is an increase in data-focused careers like data scientists, data analysts, and data communicators/storytellers. All of these career paths require strong data literacy, which involves being able to collect, understand, draw conclusions, and articulate findings from data. Individuals working with data should also learn structured query language (SQL) to extract data and Microsoft Excel to create, sort, and review datasets. Soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration can also come in handy since data-focused careers typically involve relaying information to others who don’t have the same level of data literacy.

Artificial Intelligence

2022 was the year of artificial intelligence (AI), and 2023 is set to continue that trend. Generative AI, the kind of AI that is used to create text, audio, video, and image content, has made enormous waves in the industry. As advancements continue, there’s no doubt that AI will shape how we live, work, and play. Naturally, the demand for AI skills is skyrocketing as companies battle it out to see who makes the next major breakthrough.

While there are many different types of AI with varying skills, a few technical and soft skills overlap. Those working in AI should have experience with machine learning, math concepts, data science, and algorithms. Programming languages like Python, C++, R, and Java are also sought after. However, there are pathways into the industry through no-code and low-code avenues. On the soft skills side, individuals must be able to effectively communicate high-level and complicated AI concepts to business leaders and other key stakeholders.

DevOps

The main ingredients to any successful tech workplace include the speed of operations, the efficiency of development, and maintenance of systems, processes, and products. Prior to DevOps, many tech enterprises kept roles and responsibilities separate. Coders stuck to coding, operations stuck to deployment, and so forth. Enter the DevOps era.

Developers, IT professionals, and other teams work together to launch products. This cross-functional approach ensures products can be designed more efficiently, and to a higher quality. To have DevOps marketability, job seekers will need to understand programming and scripting languages, testing and delivery skills, continuous integration, and soft skills like communication and teamwork.

Project Management

Project managers are essential to streamlining projects. As tech professionals work towards quicker turnarounds and seamless releases, pressure is often placed on project managers to facilitate plans of action and assist essential teams in meeting their goals. While project managers don’t necessarily have to have technical expertise like coding, they should possess a number of other essential skills.

Project managers should have a strong sense of business acumen, organization, time management, planning, critical thinking, and communication. They also should have some persuasive abilities, as project managers may have to step in and take on a leadership role to get a project on the right track. Flexibility is also essential, as project plans may have to be adjusted.

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