Top 20 Digital Skills Tech Companies Look For

Tech Careers Team, StartSteps |01.10.2021

With every passing year, companies in the digital sector, especially tech, seek more digital skill sets. In other words, digitalisation is putting the traditional workforce out of a job. A growing pool of opportunities is being opened for proficient people in web development, data analytics, UI/UX development, and much more.

If you also believe that tech will dominate the future job market, here are 20 of the top digital skills that’ll help you be a part of that future.

Photo by Lorenzo Herrera on Unsplash

1. Programming, Web Development

Since the world of business, academia, and the internet appear to be revolving around web platforms, there’s almost a never-ending need for people in web and app development. Coding is the pillar of any tech service or product. Once combined with proficiency in programming languages, you’ll have a higher chance of landing a job in web or app development.

2. Mobile App Development

There are over 3.7 billion smartphone users in today’s world, and that figure is continuously on the rise. Therefore, all businesses have no choice but to expand their operation into the smartphone platform. To do that, they need professional mobile developers who’ll create a proprietary app utilizing their coding and data skills.

Note: If you don’t have prior experience in coding, programming, or data, there’s no need for concern. Mentors like StarSteps will take you from novice and provide you all the requisite training and tools to help you master coding, data skills, etc. 

3. Digital Business Analysis

The non-stop growth of the tech sector dictates companies to invest in new digital solutions to keep up with the competition. However, they need digital business analysis to objectively decide if the solution is worth the investment. In a way, you could say that a digital business analyst is at the heart of digital transformation for many companies.

4. Data Design & Visualization

There’s one common thread among all digital services, apps, and websites: a user interface. Most tech businesses are desperately seeking a data designer with sufficient data, coding, and design skills to create immersive user experiences. Furthermore, they require data visualization experts who’ll provide top leaders with insightful data to make informed decisions.

5. Digital Project Management

In the last ten years, most companies in the tech sector and beyond have figured out that project management is a crucial element in providing affordable services and products and. A comprehensive understanding of various methods in this area will be a big plus on your CV. You need to understand how a product or service begins as an idea, turns into a prototype, and later develops into a fully functional digital service.

6. Product Management

Product management goes hand in hand with project management. Essentially, as a digital product manager, you’ll use your vast pool of knowledge to make a product or service the best it can be. However, you may need to rely on data analytic skills to consider the user demand, identify where there’s a need for a design change, etc. Hence having a general understanding of marketing, data, and design will come in handy on this job.

7. Digital Marketing

In a world dominated by Google ratings, Instagram followers, and Facebook Likes, companies require digital & online marketing experts able to bring down their customer acquisition costs and improve their conversion rates. 

The digital marketing specialist will utilize their knowledge of SEO, UX/UI design, and other tools to promote its presence in the online world. A reputable mentor like StartSteps will take you from a novice to a digital marketing expert. 

8. Data Science & Analytics

In an era where information is gold, companies can get an immense value by gathering data, but only if they have someone to help them make sense of it all. That explains why the demand for data scientists and analysts is far higher than the supply. By attending data science bootcamps, you can equip yourself with top digital skills. 

9. General Programming Languages

A programming language is the core pillar of any digital endeavor. By learning different programming languages, you’ll position yourself at a considerable advantage over others. You can start by learning HTML/CSS and next move to popular languages like Python and JavaScript. What’s more, you could try high in demand but short in supply languages like Kotlin, Ruby, and Scala. 

10. UI/UX Design 

Yes, we said that UI/UX design would be helpful in marketing, but it can go far beyond that. UI specialists focus on aesthetics, flow, and ease of use when designing a user interface. However, a UX expert studies the user’s interaction with the website and company to optimize web/app development and UI design. At StartSteps, we’ll provide you with a private mentor to help you master one of the all-time top digital skills.

11. Cybersecurity

In today’s world, all businesses will do whatever it takes to protect their sensitive details (such as personal information, upcoming projects, trade secrets, etc.). A calculated cyberattack will likely devastate their operation and cause them to lose their competitive advantages. 

Therefore, a cybersecurity expert up-to-date with the latest tech developments is among their prized possessions. Hence, if you’re interested in such an in-demand, high-paying position, a cybersecurity Bootcamp is the key to your wishes.

12. Data Engineering 

Data engineers provide the tools and infrastructure for data scientists to demonstrate their skills. Therefore, it’s only logical that all tech sectors trace back to data engineering, making it vital in many industries. By sharpening your data science/engineering skills, you could pave your path to a lucrative job.

13. Tech Sales

No matter the industry, all organizations need a powerful sales force to help them identify market trends, users demand and increase their revenue. Most companies prefer a trained salesperson toward avoiding costs associated with training novice employees themselves. Accordingly, by taking a course at a tech sales Bootcamp, you’ll be equipped with one of the top digital skills.

14. Machine Learning 

Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Tesla’s self-driving cars are just some examples of machine learning at work. Since the world still hasn’t caught up with ML, we’re confident that demand for ML specialists will only skyrocket from here on out. Hence, by taking an online course in machine learning, you’ll essentially put yourself at the beginning of what’ll be a transformative trend.

15. Low-Code Platforms

In today’s market, tech companies constantly utilize coding to speed up everything, even the coding itself. Companies use ready-made templates, drag-and-drop features, and other elements to accelerate the coding process with a low-code approach.

Many giants such as Microsoft, IBM, and Shopify utilize low-code platforms to simplify coding and help employees focus on the core business. Since software developers are harder (and more expensive) to come by, your low-code skills can help you distinguish yourself from others.

16. Robotics

Robotics was once a novelty, but now it’s a fundamental concept in the tech world. Nowadays, we use physical robotics in hospitals, pharmacies, manufacturing, and even amusement parks. In addition, there are all kinds of virtual bots in software and online who’ll be able to work as customer service or virtual assistance. Hence, a robotics engineering course can be a stepping stone to help you land a job in this sector.

Photo by Ramón Salinero on Unsplash

17. Cloud Computing

Many businesses are moving on from traditional server infrastructure to cloud-based solutions. Moreover, new companies are directly building their entire operation in the cloud, and consequently, there’s a growing demand for AWS/cloud specialists.

Often, data engineers, system administrators, and/or IT professionals acquire such top digital skills. Therefore, you can also climb up this ladder by taking part in an IT Bootcamp.

18. Internet of Things (IoT)

As the name suggests, the internet of things is the science of connecting all devices through the internet. Since everything on the internet is vulnerable to hacking or other cyberattacks, many tech companies need IoT professionals who’ll guarantee the protection of their products and services.

19. Blockchain

The blockchain concept has moved beyond cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Today, many tech companies incorporate blockchain into P2P payments, crowdfunding, identity management, and many other tasks. To secure a job in this sector, you need to learn different programming languages and acquire some skills in the data design department.

20. Artificial Intelligence

Many experts believe that AI is the fastest-growing job opportunity in the tech sector. While there are some overlaps with ML, AI is a broader, more mainstream notion and will undoubtedly continue to rise in the coming years. Learning programming languages such as C++ will go a long way in helping you land a lucrative position in this field.

Bottom Line

These skills are just some of the trendy sectors where you can grow and prosper. If you’re not sure which one is the right way to go, you can enroll in a compass course to acquire a little taste of each area before making a commitment.

Check-out all the career bootcamps which StartSteps works with here.