10 IT Skills You Are Going to Need in 2023

Determined to land that job you’ve been dreaming of? You’ll need to possess the skills they are looking for, and in our technology-driven world, information technology (IT) skills are in high demand.

You can make yourself indispensable as an employee – or extremely hirable as a job candidate – by cultivating or improving the following ten IT skills. The best part is, these skills are highly transferable, meaning they are useful in nearly every field or position.

You’ll need to clearly communicate your skills so your future employer knows what you are capable of. Learn more about the skills to include on a resume and how to compose your Skills section.

1.  Digital Literacy

Digital literacy was the number one skill chosen by Forbes for its list of the top in-demand skills for the next ten years. Digital literacy is defined as “the skills to learn, work, and navigate everyday life in our digital world.” If you are digitally literate, you should be able to confidently communicate using digital tools, and use common apps, devices, and programs.

You can cultivate digital literacy by simply “playing” with your devices or by taking computer classes. If in doubt, ask a teenager how to use the latest app or website.

2.  Data Literacy

Data – information, in layman’s terms – is now one of the most important assets in the business world. Data literacy means knowing where to find information and how to apply it.

According to Forbes, you can cultivate data literacy in your work and life by “extracting meaning from data and communicating data-based insights to others.” In other words, strive to understand what you read, and explain its application to someone else.

You should also be able to evaluate news and information sources for accuracy and trustworthiness. “You’ll also be able to question the integrity and validity of any data you are working with rather than just blindly following the information you are given.”

3.  Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are now parts of our daily lives – think of Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa. More and more companies are striving to make their services available through these platforms or use AI to enhance their customer experiences.

If you want to work with AI, brush up on your math skills, namely, algebra, calculus, statistics, probability, and algorithms. Programming languages like R, Java, C+++, and Python are important as well.

4.  Cloud Computing

The COVID-19 pandemic hastened the decentralizing of the workforce (via remote work) and the data they employ. Cloud computing was the obvious solution for saving, storing, and sharing said information.

To up your cloud computing skills, you should seek training and certification in the leading cloud platforms, namely, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Other important sub-skills include database management and storage, cloud security, cloud migration, application development, and application programming interfaces (APIs),

5.  Cybersecurity

Data breaches hurt consumer confidence, and cybercrime has increased in recent years. To prevent this, cybersecurity consultants need to be able to assess risk, detect intrusions and threats, and test applications and networks for security threats. This often involves “ethical hacking” to try to reveal flaws in a system’s defenses.

6.  Agile Project Management

Agile project management or APM is the tech community’s change-response philosophy. APM is less focused on the nuts and bolts of a project and more on the communication and collaboration needed.

The agile project manager should help a project remain flexible by soliciting customer feedback, delivering products or services rapidly, planning extensively, and supporting team cohesion. Still, knowledge of tools like JIRA and frameworks like SCRUM is needed.

7.  Social Media

Digital marketing and social media go hand in hand. Today, social media is used not only in sales, marketing, and company branding but also in recruitment. Success in this arena requires creativity, data and trend analysis, and an understanding of how social platforms operate.

8.  Remote Collaboration and Communication

As already mentioned, teams are more spread out than ever before. A working knowledge of videoconferencing software like Zoom and Microsoft teams, as well as remote collaboration tools such as Asana and Basecamp, are essential for team cohesion and sharing needed information. After you’ve mastered the software, focus on building teamwork and communication skills.

9.  Blockchain Technology

Blockchain undoubtedly took a hit after the failure of FTX. But that doesn’t mean blockchain is going away anytime soon.

Blockchain is not limited to cryptocurrency. It involves recording information in ways that are impossible to change or manipulate. As more companies begin utilizing blockchain transactions, those skilled in the technology will be in even higher demand.

10. DevOps

DevOps seeks to integrate operations teams and software development teams to shorten the cycle of development. Like many other tech skills, programming and scripting languages are essential to DevOps. Other subskills include communication, collaboration, continuous integration, infrastructure as code, testing and delivery, and microservices.