Technology job skills that employers want

DevOps refers to a combination of tools and practices that increases a company’s ability to deliver service at a faster pace, than the use of traditional software. DevOps speeds up processes which enables businesses to serve their customers more effectively.

Any new device or gadget requires a tech professional to write the code that makes it work - and with more businesses adopting DevOps, you won’t see a shortage of demand for DevOps engineers anytime soon. Besides coding knowledge, DevOps will be expected to have skills in infrastructure, scripting, and security, plus a range of soft skills such as decision making, flexibility and adaptability.

The key skills desirable to hiring professionals include:

• AWS/GCP/Azure significant experience

• Cloud Networking

• Experience with containers, dockers and Kubernetes

• Cloud provisioning frameworks such as Terraform, serverless frameworks as well as provisioning frameworks: Chef, Puppet, Ansible

• Scripting programming languages and automation testing

• Software engineering with knowledge of the popular programming languages within Python, JavaScript, ELT and ETL scripts

• Monitoring, planning, and responding to problems by utilising DevOps practices and tools.

Traditionally, DevOps hiring leaned towards building a network of ‘I’ shaped professionals - teams of specialists with highly specific areas of technical expertise. In recent years however, more employers have been looking to hire ‘T’ shaped professionals, who come with the depth of experience in a particular DevOps field, but with working knowledge in other related practices. Therefore, when applying for a competitive DevOps role, it’s a good idea to include any additional areas of knowledge or interest, in addition to highlighting your core skillset and experience most relevant to the role you’re going for.

The rising risks and costs associated with cybercrime have put cybersecurity measures at the forefront of many business operations. Strong security measures are vital for any company that collects customer personal data and securing the right talent and expertise is vital. A new Burning Glass study found that in the US, demand for information security and risk professionals is outstripping supply, and that the number of job postings in this field has grown by 94% in six years.

Machine learning (ML) is one of the biggest emerging technologies creating digital transformations across a huge number of sectors, from healthcare to financial services, retail, and transportation. Most industries working with big data have recognised the value of machine learning technology; using ML to collect insights from this data makes companies able to work more efficiently or gain an edge over competitors.

While machine learning's ability to automate and evolve is significant, it still requires human operators to set parameters of operation, to provide context, and to continue improving the algorithms. Key skill areas include:

• Data modelling
• Software engineering with knowledge of the popular programming languages within ML - Python, R, Java, and C++
• Statistics
• Probability
• Data science.

Technology professionals looking to pursue a career in AI should be able to demonstrate abilities such as problem-solving and an analytical thought process. Employers will also be looking for technical skills in the design, repair, and maintenance of software programs, along with the ability to translate highly technical information and to communicate effectively within a team.

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