Finding a job today is definitely a tough business. There is a lot of talk about recession, few real opportunities, but less talk about the many companies trying to innovate and invest in the future.
How not to be found unprepared and seize the best opportunity on the fly? Today, the few or many companies – we won’t stay here to discuss numbers and more or less “real” proposals – that hire personnel find themselves inundated daily with dozens, hundreds of Curriculum Vitae, and to have a chance of being selected one must have the right papers not only from a skills point of view but also in terms of how one’s professional identity is presented. CyberCoders conducted a remarkable research by analyzing the skills required by more than 10,000 companies offering jobs; the result was a “Top Ten” of the Skills in the technical sector most in demand in 2013. Let’s see in detail what they are.
Top Ten technical skills most in demand by companies in 2013
As was easily guessed, the current growth trends in mobile, cloud computing, and big data are greatly influencing the rankings. Indeed, as Heidi Golledge, CEO and founder of CyberCoders, explains, engineers who master these technologies receive an average of four or five job offers from which to choose:
“Unlike the dot-com bubble of the last decade, our need for continually improving technology is constant due to our improved processes and everyday enjoyment of our smart phones. This is an incredible time for those who have tech skills-or are willing to learn them.”
1. Mobile Development (iOS, Android)
Gartner Inc. a leading global multinational strategic consulting, research and analysis firm in the field of Information Technology, estimates that in 2013 mobile device sales will reach the figure of nearly 1.9 billion dragged down by the performance of the giant Apple and companies, Samsung in the lead, that offer smartphones with the Android operating system. The supply of apps within the stores continues to grow, as does the demand for iOs and Android developers.
2. Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure)
Cloud computing is a market set to be worth more than $121 billion by 2015; suffice it to say that Amazon Web Services (AWS) alone holds a market share of about $19 billion.
3. Front End Development
Front-end development for mobile applications and websites remains one of the highest priorities for companies. Developers and programmers coding with some of the new mobile-optimized languages such as HTML5 and CSS3 are vital for tech companies that are looking to build content-rich, often multimedia pages with relatively lightweight code and high usability. HTML5, CSS3, ASP.NET, Java the most popular languages.
4. UX/UI Design.
UX/UI design experts are increasingly sought after by companies that appreciate the added value provided by offering users an engaging and compelling user experience that often results in higher conversion and engagement rates.
5. Big Data (Hadoop, MongoBD, NoSQL).
The Big Data industry is booming and is estimated to constitute a market of nearly $17 billion by 2015; therefore, enterprises will continue to look for IT workers who are familiar with Hadoop, MongoBD and NoSQL.
6. C#
The C# language combines the high productivity of Rapid Application Development (RAD) languages with the potential of the C++ language and is currently a skill in high demand by companies. For those interested, we offer an ex-designz test where you can test your knowledge of it.
7. Ruby on Rails
Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework written in Ruby (quoting the site: “A dynamic open-source language that places special emphasis on simplicity and productivity, with an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write.”) that provides all the tools for developing Web sites and applications and is “optimized for programmer productivity and happiness.”
8. Java
The TIOBE Programming Community Index puts it as the second most popular and in-demand language, second only to C#.
9. PHP
PHP “HyperText Preprocessor” is originally a server-side scripting language designed for the Web, for the production of dynamic Web pages, and is currently used within 244 million Web sites; to wit, Joomla!, one of the most widely used CMSs for building sites, uses PHP
10. Linux
Linux is a family of Unix-like operating systems that are particularly popular with Hi-Tech companies around the world; many companies working in the IT field such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sun MicroSystems, Novel and many others have developed and continue to release Linux systems. More than 90 percent of the supercomputers currently made use Linux!
Invest on skills assessment and training
How to go about figuring out which path to take and which training course (evetually) to invest in? A useful tip suggested by many recruiters is to draw up a skills assessment, that is, to draw up a completely personal professional development project that stems from an assessment of one’s current and potential situation. Starting with this self-assessment and setting a medium- and long-term professional goal allows one to consciously choose which profession is best suited to our talents, abilities, skills, experience and expectations. If this is the field you are interested in, all you have to do is browse the Web in search of the best opportunity for you!
Best of luck!
