Top 4 IT Skills You Need to Know

Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in information technology should continue developing their skills before entering the workforce. Aspiring tech professionals work tirelessly to amp up their resume and will seek training to advance their careers, wanting to distinguish themselves from other prepared candidates. Contrary to popular belief, the IT professional must balance both hard technical skills and soft people skills. There are four IT-related skills that together form a well-rounded, powerful skill set.

Cybersecurity

Several tech companies are finding it difficult to hire cybersecurity analysts, since they are high in demand but short in supply. Analysts monitor their employer’s server network by checking through security logs and monitoring IT infrastructure that connects organizations to their customers. They work with behavioral analysis tools to detect malicious data breaches and predict future activity trends. Deciphering computer languages and knowing when and how trojans undermine networks are both critical to managing an enterprise’s network activity.

Cloud Computing

Cloud providers offer systems that provide secure data storage to their clients. These systems can be public, private, hybrid or even multi-cloud (and, if you’re wondering “what is multi-cloud?”, then this page on F5 can help you out there). Modern businesses are starting to opt into cloud services to manage their workload more effectively, separating specific tasks from their server to the cloud’s storage space. They can also customize cloud computing to fit their needs, whether they need to analyze data or simply use it as a backup for duplicate data. IT professionals must understand the three different types of cloud services. Infrastructure, platform and software service models each use different algorithms for data input and require specialized online IT training to fully understand their ecosystems.

Creative Thinking

Soft skills are what distinguish AI from human intelligence. Human creativity is fueled by emotions, which inspire insights that provide innovative solutions. Several IT professionals spend much of their time improving processes that allow data input and manipulation, but they’re also able to break down complex ideas using simpler words and reimagine existing solutions by applying them in different ways.

Communication

IT professionals aren’t shut-ins who keep quiet during the day. Other professionals have to know when a problem arises, and the IT technician who fails to properly break down an inconsistency can undermine their credibility. Entry-level technicians aren’t afraid to ask questions, but they also take initiative when starting tasks to apply their skill set. Communication also matters in IT departments, since specific tasks are set up as part of a group project that depends on correspondence so the team must constantly stay updated on security improvements.

It’s important for employees to use a diverse skill set that emphasizes their people skills and technical expertise. Many professionals will be stronger or weaker in certain areas, but they each strive to improve their work performance with constant practice.