Here are the top IT skills in 2024 that every professional needs to grow their career! Learn all about the different skills an IT professional must acquire to become a valuable asset to their clients, employers, and overall company.
Now that the digital age has progressed in insurmountable leaps, IT has become more necessary than ever. Commerce, information, networking, and transactions can now be done solely from a PC or mobile device.
That’s good news for anyone involved in IT. This is because the demand for specialists and talented individuals related to technology has only become more in demand than before. However, without the right skill set, you could be overshadowed by other professionals in your career.
Before you throw in the towel, think about what you can do to develop your skills and improve yourself into an IT professional no employer can resist!
Why is it Important to Develop Technical and Soft Skills?
IT skills, whether technical or soft, are an important part of retaining a growing career in IT. Aside from job security and become a specialised professional, a combination of technical and soft skills increases an employee’s collaboration skills, problem-solving skills, empathy, and time management.
Soft skills and technical skills help IT professionals empathise with their clients and their concerns. Understanding the solution is the cause of any frustrations and confusion a client has, which increases the chances of better communication.
Additionally, becoming familiar with and an expert on these skills also increases your understanding of the time consumption of each requirement. This helps professionals manage their time better and collaborate better with different employees.
Top 10 Skills Every IT Professional Should Have
These essential skills for IT professionals can make or break their careers. Learning these skill sets gives you everything to gain and nothing to lose. Take the time to read through each description and benefit from the skills listed below.
IT jobs require high-proficiency skills that specialise in different aspects of technology. These skills are called technical skills and can range from basic formats to advanced equations and languages. Learning each skill, depending on the path of your desired specialty is a requirement to retain your work quality.
Programming Languages
IT skills like programming languages are one of the first things an IT professional should learn. Different types of programming languages cater to specific necessities of a platform.
Some of these programming languages include Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, SQL, and Ruby. They are a series of code structures and patterns used and understood only by experienced professionals, depending on their requirements.
Prioritise the programming language related to your preferred specialty in IT. However, it’s also good to keep other programming languages in mind for flexibility within unforeseen cases that require your assistance as an IT.
Common operating systems
One of the most undermined IT skills by professionals is the proficiency level they have for all types of common operating systems. Operating systems such as Chrome OS, Linux, MacOS, or Microsoft Windows must be understood properly to delay any need for fixes and maintenance by your co-workers or clients.
While you may be quite versed in the hard skills of IT, learning how to operate common systems used by most computers can save you time from navigating through the different functions you will need to run.
Software proficiency
That being said, your IT skills should reach advanced proficiency in software related to your specialty. There’s a misconception that employees in IT learn only once in their careers. The truth is far from it.
IT professionals continuously commit to training and development when working in their respective jobs. This ensures their understanding of their profession is always updated for smoother solutions and efficient scheduling.
This also ensures that advanced solutions can be applied to your client’s platforms and software based on your knowledge of the topic.
Project Management
Project management is also a part of the IT skills necessary for your career development. As an IT professional, you will likely handle multiple tasks simultaneously. As you advance in your career, the responsibilities of your tasks will also be topped with managing others below you.
Being overwhelmed by numerous tasks and management issues can cause burnout for any professional, not just one in IT. Solve the issue firsthand by developing your project management skills as you begin your career.
You can even use tools depending on the nature of your work. Project management tools such as Asana, Monday, and Trello are just some of the many examples of these tools that were created for delegation, collaboration, management, and organisation.
Data Analysis
IT skills like data analysis are also an important part of technical skills and a requirement that enhances understanding of all information available to make an educated decision.
Analysing data presented to you from the code or information sent through different factors can be a lifesaving technique for your company. Remember, an educated guess isn’t just a random instinct. It’s backed up by facts and understanding.
Prepare your clients or employers from foreseeable events that can’t be avoided and mitigate risks and damages while taking advantage of openings that can only be found if the data necessary is analysed.
IT Soft Skills
It’s quite alarming that soft IT skills are often undermined. Especially when they serve as the balance between the technical skills. Soft skills refer to interpersonal skills that encourage harmony between employees.
Communication
The first of our IT soft skills prioritise communication and analytical abilities. To be harmonious with other employees. Just like other careers, having an effective ability to communicate with peers reduces misunderstandings and improves collaboration tactics.
The biggest benefit of being an effective communicator is smoothly explaining professional jargon and other advanced ideas in simpler terms without confusing the people you’re working with. Discussing with superiors or clients effectively gives them an idea of why you do certain procedures.
The same can be said for co-workers who are working side-by-side with IT professionals. Not everyone will understand the topics you know well. Having the right amount of conversational skills can ease their understanding and perform their tasks connected to your own efficiently.
Organisation
IT skills require heavy maintenance, upgrading, security enhancements, and other technical add-ons. This is especially true for code structures in a business where consistent upgrades are necessary.
A soft skill that can help IT professionals from being burned out or overwhelmed is organisation. Being able to handle your tasks in an efficient and less time-consuming way can help IT professionals become more focused and alert with their deliverables.
At the same time, this greatly reduces multitasking. While IT professionals may be called at random hours for emergencies, having a specific set of hours that can prevent your energy from being depleted can help with your motivation and consistency.
Creativity and Resourcefulness
To the untrained eye, IT skills wouldn’t require anything but technical abilities and analytical skills. However, an experienced IT professional would know the value of a creative and resourceful skill set.
Being able to produce innovative solutions and ideas for a better product output for your company or client will make you an invaluable resource who knows how to make do with the tools they can access. Such talents are irreplaceable even in other professional jobs.
While a textbook method proves to be the core structure of an IT professional, being able to understand key components and reorganising them in a unique way when needed can help create faster and more effective solutions for their employers.
Learning the techniques given in course catalogues and textbooks is great. However, a person who can use this information and manipulate it for a more effective result is even greater.
Problem-solving
Problem-solving is a great asset that benefits all other IT skills in this article. Having analytical skills to break down issues into clear points of errors and find solutions leads to an efficient process.
Problem-solving benefits all types of setbacks that can be either simple maintenance work, troubleshooting, or high-stakes issues like shutdowns or security breaches.
Another benefit of problem-solving skills is the ability to navigate through the concerns of clients and employees regarding the output they have received. Any sudden changes needed or potential errors spotted can be swiftly dealt with by an analytical mind.
Flexibility
The final member of this necessary IT skill set is flexibility. As an IT professional, there will be various issues that need to be addressed and that require your attention. Unfortunately, problems don’t just appear in a set time.
Sudden issues that occur at different times are a possibility that can’t be ignored by those wanting a career in IT. There will be times when your skills will be needed at hours beyond your shift schedule. As such, being flexible and adjusting to the time-crunching solutions is a must.
Time constraints aren’t the only situations that require flexibility. Unforeseen changes that create a setback within the normal business processes can transition much more smoothly by being flexible and adjusting to sudden changes.
This mindset is crucial for startups, remote working, and most companies.
Conclusion
These IT skills can help you increase your chances of success as an IT professional. Remember that every step counts when on your journey to become a valuable member of your employees and clients.
It’s best to familiarise all your skills together to enhance yourself into become the best version you can be in IT.
Ready to become a partner with Flexisource? Visit our career page and find out how you, as an IT professional, can grow with us!
