The tech job market has made a rapid recovery post pandemic seeing over 43,200 jobs added from March to May 2022. As job growth exceeds even pre-pandemic levels, firms are struggling to find qualified individuals to fill their IT roles. With 115,000 current job postings across the United States and a median wage at 96,667 USD in early 2022, the industry is certainly lucrative for prospective candidates. The extensive tech staffing shortage and high wages provide candidates with a unique opportunity to advance their careers by learning new IT skills.
Below we outline some of the most in-demand tech skills for 2022.
Technical Skills
A developer’s foundation lies in their knowledge of various coding languages. As technologies change, it’s important to stay up to date with the most useful and relevant language to remain a leader in the industry.
JavaScript
JavaScript is currently the most widely used coding language in the world, with 69.7% of developers in a Stack survey attesting to frequent usage. JavaScript is an extremely important language for web development and can be used to add interactive behavior like animations or buttons to web pages. It can also be used to develop games, mobile apps, or other applications. Companies like PayPal, Walmart, Facebook, and Uber use JavaScript to power their online presences and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Python
Python is another popular language. Its simplicity and versatility give it a wide range of uses, including AI and machine learning, data analytics, web development, and SEO. While it is simple to add Python to a developer’s toolkit, it is not something to be overlooked, as over 50% of hiring managers are seeking candidates with these skills. Python’s easy transfer to innovative technologies makes it a hot language to know while protecting its ubiquity in our age of rapid advancements.
HTML
Standing in just behind JavaScript in terms of developer usage, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is another coding language to have in your back pocket. HTML allows for web pages to display proper formatting of text and images, helps with online navigation, and serves as an engine for game development. Due to its involvement in so many current technologies, HTML will remain a standard for the long haul and continue to evolve with the industry.
Investing time and resources into learning any of these three coding languages, JavaScript, Python, and HTML, will be well worth it. They prepare individuals with much needed skills to enter some of the most appealing sectors of IT in 2022, like cloud computing, machine learning, cybersecurity, and enterprise software. While learning a language does not necessitate expertise in specific roles like these, they certainly provide the knowledge base to train for any of them.
It is important to note that learning these languages provides developers with another invaluable skill: aptitude. Those who have become developers through Momentum’s courses have shared that one of their most significant takeaways was a core understanding of how to learn new platforms. While the aforementioned skills are here to stay, they will certainly evolve and require developers to consistently learn-a necessity for which Momentum’s students become well prepared.
Soft Skills
In a post-pandemic world where many work environments are hybrid or fully remote, it is important for prospective hires to be able to connect and solve technical issues virtually. While it is obvious that an individual employed in IT should be proficient in technology, the necessity for soft skills extends beyond technical skill. Project management, delegation, and presentation abilities can make the difference in receiving a job offer, promotion, project success, or not. It is important for individuals to practice their interpersonal skills alongside their technical knowledge base. Working remotely or with someone who is miles away can be difficult, which is why these abilities are even more valuable to firms today.
Participating in a learning course that facilitates group environments, presentations, and project lead training is vital to future success as both an individual and as a firm to upskill the talent of current employees.
Prioritizing Upskilling and Reskilling
The competition for top talent in the tech industry has been ramping up steadily post pandemic. Firms need to recruit and retain new hires for a range of IT roles, and one of the best ways to do that is through upskilling and reskilling. Upskilling is the practice of training and developing current employees to improve their skillsets. Perhaps even more importantly than improving employees’ skills, upskilling increases retention rates. This is vital in a time when IT staffing is facing a shortage and replacing an employee can cost thousands of dollars. In a similar vein, reskilling is the process of learning new skills at a company to move into a different role. This can help companies fill employment gaps with existing employees while employees expand their skillsets. Firms can use corporate training services for both upskilling and reskilling to truly stay ahead of competition in the tech sector.
Conclusion
Certain coding languages, like JavaScript, Python, and HTML, along with soft skills are hot in today’s tech market and hiring managers are willing to pay more for developers with expertise. Additionally, an increasing number of companies are starting to partner with third-party software engineering bootcamps and corporate upskilling programs like Momentum to fill gaps and retain top talent. And finally, investing in software skills for individuals or firm initiatives will pay off and sharpen the edge against competition.
