The IT world is changing so fast. In such a fast-changing work environment it’s common for skills to become obsolete.

To be ready to deal with these changes successfully, it is important to learn what skills are becoming highly in demand as soon as possible.

No one wants to be caught short. So we’ve listed the IT skills that are on the rise this year.

Cybersecurity/Information Security

Expected demand for these skills continues to grow as companies look for tech professionals who can, both proactively and reactively fix security gaps and threats. The cyber-security and information security industries are currently understaffed. More cyber-warriors are needed to keep the world’s data safe from intrusion. Common in-demand skills for security professionals include vulnerability assessment, source code review and analysis, penetration and intrusion testing, web app testing, secure system design, and network discovery.

Big data

Big data is a big deal. This category is important almost everywhere these days. Companies collect data that can help them gain insight into the behavior of customers, plan future strategy and predict future growth opportunities. Companies are and will continue looking for employees with a complex set of skills to take care of big data. Big data professionals should be intellectually flexible enough to quickly change their assumptions and approaches to different problems.

NoSQL

The global NoSQL market is growing at a rapid pace. The increased spending on NoSQL software and services is translating into more NoSQL employment opportunities. The demand for NoSQL professionals is coming not only from software companies, but also from retail, healthcare, and government sectors. The growth of the NoSQL market is influenced by many drivers, of which the adoption of big data solutions is an important driver.

Salesforce

Two trends are driving the demand for Salesforce: the increase of cloud computing and the resulting increase of Salesforce.com implementations. Salesforce can be divided into four job types which cover the different implementation stages of products: Salesforce administrator, Force.com developer, implementation expert, and architects. The top related skills that can help you on your way to Salesforce: Apex Code, Java, SaaS, .NET, Visualforce.

Hadoop

Hadoop is an open source Apache framework that facilitates the analysis and interpretation of big data and will continue to gain control in the market. Hadoop is a leader in the Big Data category of job postings.

Hadoop is designed to run a large number of machines that don’t share any memory or disks. When you want to load an organization’s data into Haddop, what the software does is split that data into pieces which it then spreads across different servers.

JIRA

JIRA is a web-based software primarily used for bug, issue tracking, and project management.

Project issue-tracking software and JIRA are used in both startups and in big enterprises, especially in those with a large number of software developers.

Reporting and issue tracking are essential for all organizations, and the demand for technologies like JIRA and for professionals who work on common problems, track issues, and report on project workflows will continue to grow.

Cloud

As cloud computing grows, job opportunities for cloud tech and for other talents with related experience are growing as well. Most of the cloud jobs to be found these days require a deep knowledge around a particular technology, such as Amazon Web Services, OpenStack, Salesforce.com, or Azure. The best way to prepare for these jobs is to understand all you can about clod technology, including practical uses and the current best practices of architecture and approaches.

Python

Python is a language that continues to grow even after 25 years of history. It’s a foundational language taught in college-level programming courses. Both large companies and startups understand that it’s a simple, elegant and powerful language.

You can never stop learning if you want to maintain your value in any company or in the job marketplace. Neither can you wait for your employer to offer additional education for you. You need to take responsibility to educate yourself. Check our previous post what can help you in this case.