7 Hot IT Skills for 2016

Keeping up with the ever changing trends and demands of new technology every year can be overwhelming to say the least. New programming languages are introduced, data becomes so large and complex we need new and innovative ways to analyse it all and mobile technology continues to advance.

The IT market is progressively changing and adapting with the emphasis on improving security, increasing productivity and expanding to new and unexplored markets. As we approach 2016, Technojobs lists the 7 hot skills for 2016.

1. Big Data & Cloud Skills

The digital world of today is bursting full of data which is growing at a rapid pace thanks to the increasing use of social media and streaming data. This has coined the term Big Data, which is the collection of both structured and unstructured data that can’t be easily processed using traditional data analysis methods. Big Data is crucial to businesses as this information could prove to be a large factor in important decision making, therefore the demand for individuals who have IT skills to collect and analyse this complex data is increasing.

Cloud computing has also become very common with many companies continuing to invest in cloud technology and security. According to Gartner, "The use of cloud computing is growing, and by 2016 this growth will increase to become the bulk of new IT spend. ... 2016 will be a defining year for cloud as private cloud begins to give way to hybrid cloud, and nearly half of large enterprises will have hybrid cloud deployments by the end of 2017." The expansion and support of cloud data means the demand for IT individuals with specific cloud skills or admin architecture has increased.

Jobs available in Big Data & Cloud:
Big Data Engineer, Java Developer, Hadoop Developer

2. Business Intelligence & Analytics

Businesses are always seeking new and intuitive ways to analyse large amounts of raw data to help identify and develop new strategic business opportunities for the future. By implementing this strategy based on the insights found it can give businesses a competitive market benefit and company stability for the future.

Professionals with experience in BI, SQL, SAS and analytics are being sought after as companies look to be more involved in data analysis. 

Jobs available in Business Intelligence:
BI Analyst, Data Analyst, SAP

3. Mobile App Development

The biggest tech news in the handheld market is usually the announcement of the next Samsung or Apple smart phone or tablet. With smartphones becoming more advanced and continually revolutionising the way we communicate and work, there will always be a demand for mobile developers to create new and exciting mobile apps for iOS and Android. Whether that's to increase productivity or become the next addicting casual mobile game, the app market shows no sign of slowing down. 

Programming languages for mobile such as C++ and Java still continue to be used for mobile development but the introduction of Apple’s programming language, Apple Swift, for Apple iOS and watchOS could prove to be a valuable skill in developing new and ground-breaking apps.

Another one to look out for is Hybrid App Development which is the cross between web and native technology. According to a study by Gartner, 50% of mobile apps could be hybrid by 2016 making it the new standard. 

Jobs available in Mobile Development:
Mobile App Developer, Android Developer, iOS/Apple Swift

4. Digital Marketing & Social Media

Not all skills need to be technical as many businesses have become dedicated to improving their digital marketing and social media presence online. The popularity of platforms like Facebook, Twitter or company blogs always require user engagement and unique content to keep users interested and up to date with company and PR related news. This means developing engaging content that informs existing customers and gains a new audience through shared content and search engine performance. Individuals skilled in SEO and PPC are very high in demand due to the important of search rankings and content marketing.

Companies will also have included other online channels in their digital marketing channels to identify what’s best for their business. Display marketing involves designing graphical adverts and banners to place on different websites and within mobile apps too. Another method that is still a crucial part of the promotion and marketing of content is email marketing. Not only would there be a need for creative people to generate and design the content but business would also require individuals with analytical skills to examine and evaluate the performance of email marketing campaigns.

Jobs available in Digital Marketing:
Digital Marketing, Social Media Manager, SEO/PPC Executive

5. Front End Development

Front end development skills continue to be a valuable asset to have with improvements to HTML, CSS and Javascript becoming more advanced and intuitive. HTML5 has steadily taking over Flash with popular websites such as Youtube and Facebook being in favour of HTML5 for its video player. Another example is the increasing popularity of SASS (Syntactically Awesome Stylesheets) that boasts more features than any other CSS extension language out there.

Open source Javascript libraries such as React are becoming increasingly favoured. Not far behind that is Grunt, a JavaScript Task Runner which has also become a very sought after skill. Another popular HTML, CSS and JS framework is Twitter’s Bootstrap which has become quite prominent for the development of responsive mobile projects.

Jobs available in Web Development:
Web Developer, Front End Developer, Full Stack Developer

6. Cyber Security

What with recent cyber-attacks and system databases becoming compromised from cyber criminal it’s become apparent that the security and protection of sensitive data is an absolute priority for businesses. Because of this businesses have found it an upmost importance in hiring individuals with cyber security skills to help protect their data, customers and reputation. Businesses require analysts, consultants and engineers to ensure they have a well secure system that is difficult to breach or compromise.

According to a study by certification body (ISC)2, there has been a shortage of security skills in the UK. This has made the average salary rise to nearly £63,000 as many organisations are reporting being under-staffed for security related roles causing a demand for these types of roles. Infact, Technojobs reported a double digit growth in cyber security jobs.

Jobs available in Front End Development:
Cyber Security, Threat Engineer, Security Analyst

7. Networking & Infrastructure

Companies are always looking for proficient and cost effective ways to improve network infrastructure technology. IT professionals and administrators can help support and maintain the storage, proficiency and security of networks to increase resourcefulness and overall performance. The types of skills preferential would be network management, analytical skills and critical thinking and individuals with experience in system administration, data warehousing and Cisco CCNA.

Mobile networks are also a vital infrastructure that connects the user to a global network. With the rise and expansion of 4G technology the skills to sustain and provide consistent quality connectivity between mobile users is a necessity as more and more people become connected.

Jobs available in Networking & Infrastructure:
Infrastructure Engineer, Network Administrator, Sys Admin