Skills Developers Should Invest In

Every day is an opportunity for developers to update and develop their skills. During this time, you can decide to grow in your craft or choose to lag. Rather than getting comfortable with the set of skills you have, ever thought of pushing a bit forward? The IT industry is constantly changing because of advances in technology, keeping your skills sharp and up to date will ensure you work on bigger and more challenging projects and ultimately advance your career.

Below is a list of key skills you as a developer should invest in:

1. Application Development
This is one of the top skills that are in demand. Organizations are more regularly refining their digital customer experience, making the user interface and experience design crucial skills in the coming year. From internal systems to front-end apps, the software will be everywhere to improve business processes. This year, we started witnessing a huge demand for programmers to upgrade existing computer systems, or for the design and development of new applications. So, if you have strong skills in Java, hardware controllers, web and mobile applications, this is the year for you. Talent with preferred coding skills such as Java, Java EE, JavaFX, .NET, C, Objective-C, and UI/UX Design can make the best of the demand.

2. Mobile platforms
2014 was the year when the demand for smartphones and tablets reached record highs. Businesses across the world are adopting mobile application development strategies to meet their business objectives.
There are however different approaches to mobile development. Mostly there are three important focus areas; IOS, Andriod, and Windows Phones. If you focus on native app development pick one platform (android or IOS) and learn the APIs for that system. When you have come to be efficient using one platform, it is possible to broaden your knowledge into another platform.

3. Cybersecurity skills
Intel Security says a massive 82 percent of IT professionals that it surveyed are battling a shortage of workers specializing in cybersecurity. Increasing concerns and business risks associated with insecure software have brought increased attention to the need to integrate security into the development process. Some of the leading experts think that to ensure software security, developers need to build security from the code up. Security is becoming more and more important, developing skills in this area will surely benefit you in your future career.

 4. Full project life cycle experience 
Bird’s eye view of a project? Yes, clients want developers who see a project from an architectural point of view. Understanding how a project fits together and links into the business is a key skillset and that demand will continue. This is also true for project management. Not every developer should be a project manager, however, you need to understand the process. You need to understand how to track progress on tasks and how to work with other developers to get things done.

4. Know a server language
The reality is that JavaScript is now the preferred front-end language worldwide. If you haven't learned it yet, you should learn it now. There is no denying that since its inception in the mid-'90s, JavaScript has become one of the most popular Web development languages. Although initially developed as a browser-agnostic scripting language, in recent years, we’ve seen its continued evolution beyond the desktop to areas such as mobility and server-side web applications.

One of the big shifts that have been slowly happening is the ability to use JavaScript as a shared logic layer between native experiences. Almost every computing platform has a browser. So JavaScript programs run virtually everywhere. JavaScript’s ability to meet the demands of rapid development, while at the same time maximizing the user experience, makes it a natural fit for mobile development platforms and a crucial skill for any developer.

6. Data visualization
Data keeps multiplying, which means whatever message you hope to communicate online must find increasingly creative ways to break through the noise. That's where data visualization comes in, which involves using a visual representation of the data to discover new information and breakthroughs.

Data visualization is perhaps the most promising of formats with the rise of Big Data. Stimulating multiple areas of the brain, visual feedback is one of the best ways to understand something.

Learn to use these tools in a way that benefits you and updates your workflow. Use them on your side-projects, and use them even when you think they might be overloaded. Learn how to do things that save you time like linking and closing issues with your commit messages. In short, if you are going to use it you need to be good at it.

If you are ready for a new challenge in your career, let us help you find a new IT job!

Communicate Recruitment is a specialist IT recruitment company that can help you find your next job opportunity. We have a variety of IT vacancies ranging from Business Analysis, Software Development, IT Management, Software Engineering, Project Management, Business Intelligence, and more.

Visit our website and apply today!