The new year is an ideal time to assess your career trajectory and target some new skills that will help you reach your goals. Despite widespread concerns about recession and rising unemployment, skills development is a great strategy for staying relevant and embracing new opportunities.
Whether you’re currently working in tech or just starting out, what new skills are in increasing demand? let’s
1. Virtual reality programming
By now, most of us have probably experienced virtual reality (VR) or even explored the metaverse. Admittedly, I was late to the VR bandwagon, but I recently had the opportunity to join an advisory board that delved deep into VR. metaverseVR is still in its infancy, but I stepped away from the advisory board to give a different take on where things are going. The move to bring immersive VR experiences into the corporate environment could accelerate rapidly.
What types of skills are most in demand Because the VR market is likely to explode in the next few years?
[ Also read 4 tips for IT career growth in 2023. ]
With a software development background, the leap to VR is probably within reach. Experience with one or more mainstream coding languages such as C# or C++ would be an advantage. It may take some skill building to learn the underlying game engine and put it all into practice.
2. Initiatives for cyber security
It is no secret that there is a global shortage of cybersecurity talent.according to ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2022 Report, 63% of respondents have open cybersecurity positions that are difficult to fill. Meanwhile, 60% of respondents struggle to retain their existing cybersecurity talent.
While there is no easy solution to addressing the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, the current job market ensures that cybersecurity will continue to thrive in the near future.
What are the critical skills required for cybersecurity professionals? Not surprisingly, 52% of respondents cite cloud computing as the top security skills gap today. As more organizations move workloads to the cloud to drive their digital transformation, it’s imperative that technology and cybersecurity professionals understand how to manage and properly secure these environments.
The current job market ensures that cybersecurity will continue to thrive for the foreseeable future.
Online courses or provider-specific training help you quickly understand cloud concepts.
3. Managing projects using Agile
Are your organization’s projects typically on time and on budget? If so, that’s a sign of solid project management. But finding a project manager is getting harder and harder. A recent report from the Project Management Institute estimates that there will be a global need for 25 million project professionals by 2030.
Demand for project managers Agile experience is particularly strong. Once the almost exclusive methodology of software development, Agile is now widely recognized for improving planning, speed, adaptability, and continuous improvement in any project lifecycle. Agile and similar methodologies encourage more “wins fast” during projects by establishing appropriately sized sprints that keep everyone focused on each iteration.
Several organizations offer Agile training and certification paths. Project Management Institute and Scrum.org.
4. Develop with low code
To a traditional developer, developing an application using a graphical no-code or low-code platform might seem like a seasoned carpenter buying furniture at IKEA. While we appreciate IKEA’s ingenuity, we also understand that their products fall short of the standards of handmade creations passed down through generations.
Still, not all furniture needs to be made to that level (at least not in my house). For me, using low-code is like shopping at IKEA when I need a piece of functional furniture right away.
According to Gartnerthe low-code market is expected to reach $26.9 billion in 2023, so if you haven’t already, it might be time to join.
I certainly do not believe that the traditional field of development will disappear. However, I believe we are moving towards a hybrid model that leverages no-code and low-code to accelerate certain aspects of development and make it easier for non-technical users to become more hands-on.
There are many free resources available online to learn about different methods. no code or low code platform.
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