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What technology professionals and employers are looking for in 2020: How to thrive in the next norma



Now that AI has become more mainstream (and businesses are implementing AI to keep up with demand during COVID-19 and the post-pandemic world), companies will be looking for people with specific areas of expertise in AI in 2022, such as natural language processing (NLP), automated speech recognition (ASR) and automation. Not only that, but according to a 2020 UiPath survey, 70% of C-level executives want even non-technical employees to have some automation and AI skills.


Research also shows that remote work was the source of up to 20% of cybersecurity attacks in 2020. In fact, 24% of employers in one survey had to spend money to address security incidents after shelter-in-place orders spurred the sudden necessity of telework.




What technology professionals and employers are looking for in 2020




Modern marketing is a very different world from the marketing of even just a few years ago, with digital strategies playing a significant role and traditional methods (such as print) becoming less relevant and less effective. That means that while certain skills associated with the field (such as creativity and communication) are certainly still important and applicable, there are a whole host of other, newer skills that employers are now looking for in their marketing hires.


Key marketing skills can be broken down into two categories - soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills are broader and more widely applicable, and are useful (or necessary) in many different career paths. Hard skills are more focused on technical abilities and familiarity with specific tools and strategies. Given that marketing is a very broad field, the hard skills you'll need to get hired will vary tremendously from role to role, but for the purposes of this article, we're focusing on some of the most common skills employers are looking for when hiring an entry-level marketing generalist (typically a coordinator or assistant role).


You might be looking at the list above and worrying that you don't have what it takes to be a marketer. But not to worry - all of these skills can be built through dedicated training and education. A marketing degree is a great way to learn the most important marketing skills today's employers are looking for, both the core soft skills and the key technical skills. You'll emerge from a degree program with a well-rounded, up-to-date marketing skillset that will poise you for success in your first role in the field.


"The labor market for technology professionals was extremely tight during 2019, with unemployment at historic lows throughout periods of the year," said Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at CompTIA. "This speaks to the broad-based demand for tech talent across regions, industries, and employers looking to capitalize on innovation that was once in the realm of science fiction, but increasingly reality."


The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5.2 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.


Statistics for ICT specialists are constructed on the basis of the OECD definition (outlined at the start of this article) which is built on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). For data up until 2010, the definition was based on ISCO-88, whereas the data from 2011 onwards are based on ISCO-08; as such, there is a break in series in 2011. Under ISCO-08, Eurostat and the OECD define ICT specialists as people with the following occupations: ICT service managers; information and communications technology professionals (software and multimedia developers and analysts, and database specialists and systems administrators); information and communications technicians (ICT operations and user support technicians, and communications technicians); electronic engineers; telecommunication engineers; graphic and multimedia designers; information technology trainers; ICT sales professionals; electronics engineering technicians; electronics mechanics and servicers; ICT installers and servicers.


Think of soft skills for work as your personal skills - things you do that make you a great employee outside of the technical skills that are needed for the job. They may come naturally to you, or perhaps you've added some classes to your list to augment these abilities. If you haven't, consider taking online classes and other certification courses to develop strong soft skills in the workplace. Including soft skills on a resume is absolutely essential if you want employers to quickly see that you have the talents they're looking for.


Change is always a major part of the modern-day workplace. The lightning-fast advancement of technology has forced industries to evolve or perish in recent years. Those changes are sure to continue in the years to come, which is why adaptability is now one of the top skills employers are looking for in job candidates.


While creativity, communication skills, a growth mindset, emotional intelligence, and collaboration are all relevant skills that can make you a great employee, leadership skills will elevate you even further. Most employers and hiring managers are always looking for someone who is capable of growing beyond that role.


Professional development keeps professionals current on industry trends. Professional development and continuing education and learning opportunities are great ways to stay up-to-date on industry knowledge and trends. Every professional industry is constantly evolving, so employees should use professional development and training opportunities to expand their knowledge base, learn new practices and techniques, and embrace new technology.


Professional development can open the door to future career changes. For professionals who are looking to make a complete career change or to pivot within their industry, new skills acquired through professional development training could be critical to opening new doors within their field or to transition to a new industry.


Daniel Greenspan is an enterprise training consultant and the founder of ITCareerFinder. Over fifteen years of collaboration with IT professionals, world-class trainers and technology executives has given him a unique perspective into the IT job market and the skills and credentials that technologists need to succeed.


To understand the opportunity gap, we should examine who has access to the best jobs. Tech jobs offer high status, high salaries, and bargaining power for workers on the labor market. But the U.S. has systematically underinvested in K-12 and postsecondary curricula for building the critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital skills that allow individuals to succeed in a rapidly changing, technology-infused workplace over the long term. Tech employers often say they cannot find qualified talent for tech jobs locally, so they recruit nationally and globally, or poach workers from competitors.


In this technological day and age, shooting a quick text to your friends or family may not include proper grammar, which in turn, can result in a decline in your written or oral communication skills. Another way your communication skills may decline is by the lack of face-to-face conversation. While being proficient in digital technology is necessary for many careers, technology should not be used as the only means of communication. This reduces the quality of face-to-face conversations in the workplace. These are also skills that many graduates can improve on. 95.9% of employers find communication skills essential, but they believe only 41.6% demonstrate efficiency in those skills.


Although on 68.6% of employers are looking for graduates with quality leadership skills, most employers think only 33% of employees demonstrate leadership qualities. By combining critical thinking, teamwork, professionalism and work ethic, and communication skills, you can become a great leader in your workplace.


You are now familiar with 25 types of nursing positions employers are looking to fill. If you want to qualify yourself for one of these in-demand jobs, the first step is acquiring the proper training and education. Let us help you map out your next steps in our article, "Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting into Nursing School.".


When the electronic health record was adopted, there seemed to be a pause by many health information management professionals saying, "Whoa, I'm not too sure about this technology." And in that hesitation IT professionals and others slid right in to fill the void. In many organizations, the only players senior leadership has seen managing data are the IT folks.


The infrastructure becomes like the water and the lights. You notice when it's not working, but the expectation becomes that infrastructure and technology are always functioning to support what you need to do in support of the creation and use of that data.


Employers are going to see a lot more collaboration between people with HIM degrees and people with IT experience. There's a lot that health information management professionals can gain by that collaboration but it goes both ways. The technology just gets more and more sophisticated and there continues to be more and more of it. You can't be an expert in everything, but you certainly have to be conversant.


When the medical records were paper, everybody knew who needed to take care of those records and where you need to get your talent from. Now, when employers are looking to fill roles that have to do with health records, they need to put health information professionals as the preferred option for positions that have to do with the information systems in the organization. Oftentimes, because they don't do that, those jobs aren't attracting HIM professionals. This means they may not be hiring the best person for the job. 2ff7e9595c


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