List of Top IT Jobs and Related Certifications in 2020 to Rock the IT World
Although 2020 was a challenging year for the world with many career crises, the technology job market has enjoyed the most growth. With a devastating pandemic and people having to stay off work, the organizations are in dire need of the tech professionals to help them navigate the new business terrain created by the situation.
If you are still contemplating about starting a career in IT, this is the best time to make up your mind. Of course, no one knows what the future has in store, but one thing is certain. Technology will drive the future, and only those professionals who have the required skills and knowledge will be able to take advantage of the opportunities. In this article, we will share some of the top IT jobs that are currently in high demand to help you find your place. So, let’s get right into it!
- Data Scientist
Data science is undoubtedly a wide field with various job roles. However, the core role includes data evaluation for business insights. The individuals who have this position collect, organize, and clean data as well as carry out predictive and statistical analysis. To become an IT specialist in this sector, the candidates should have strong knowledge of statistical applications, theory, and hands-on experience with big data techniques and machine learning. Coding experience is also a requirement with the knowledge of at least one high-level programming language such as Java or Python. To get these skills and all the required knowledge, you can earn the following certifications: Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), SAS Certified Data Scientist, Dell EMC Data Science Track (EMCDS), Cloudera Certified Associate Data Analyst, or Amazon AWS Big Data. The average salary for the Data Scientists is $113,000 per annum, and there are thousands of jobs currently advertised online for this position.
- DevOps Engineer
These specialists are responsible for automating and streamlining existing processes and systems. They also have the job roles of building and maintaining tools for operations, deployment, and monitoring systems. These professionals also possess the skills and expertise in diagnosing and resolving problems in development and testing environments as well as in production.
To take up the title of an IT engineer, the individuals should have scripting expertise in different languages, such as Python, Ruby, Bash, Gradle, Ant, and Maven, among others. You can easily get and validate these skills by obtaining the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert, Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD), Associate Cloud Engineer, or Puppet Professional certifications. It also requires that the applicants have practical experience related to data structures, multi-threaded algorithms, and object-oriented design. With over 24,000 thousand positions available in the market, you can be sure that by googling “IT jobs near me”,you will findwhat you are looking for in this sector. The median salary for a DevOps Engineer is $100,000 per annum.
- Software Engineer
With the average annual salary of $92,000 and over 100,000 job openings, the Software Engineers are now in high demand. They use their knowledge of programming languages and engineering principles to develop, design, and install systems and software. These specialists can start with the entry-level IT jobsand grow their careers to the Senior Software Engineer position.
To take up this job role, you need to be proficient in different programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and MySQL/DB/Oracle. Additionally, the professionals should have expertise in relational data modeling, basic database schema design, and SQL. It will also be better for you to have the following certificates: Oracle Certified Associate (OCA): Java SE Programmer, Oracle Certified Professional (OCP): Java SE Programmer, CIW Web Design Professional, or Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP). The Software Engineers should also have experience in different complex enterprise systems to increase existing current procedures and processes while maintaining the legitimacy of enterprise data.
- Solution Architect
These professionals manage complex processes to resolve business issues with the use of technology. They have a variety of job roles, which include defining the features, solution requirements, and phases that are required to identify weaknesses and problems as well as determining the ideal technological solution to solve them.
These specialists have the relevant skills and expertise in Cloud development and IT infrastructure, software architectural design and engineering, product and project management, as well as work experience in a variety of IT fields. Typically, they have the certifications, such as B2C Commerce Architect, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, ITIL Master, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA). These professionals may also take up the IT Manager role while working as Solution Architects. Their average annual salary is $111,000, and more than 70,000 jobs are currently available.
- Data Analyst
These specialists are responsible for developing the frameworks for strategy development, data, analytics, and implementation of data analysis tools. They also have the job role of collecting and analyzing sets of data from various sources to enable informed business decision-making and accurate business predictions. They also track and monitor external and internal data for business growth. If you are choosing between becoming an IT Business Analyst or a Data Analyst, we recommend that you opt for the second one as you will be able to automate the tasks of a Business Analyst as well but not vice versa.
The average salary for these professionals is $62,000 per annum and there are more than 5,500 options currently advertised on various job websites. To be considered for this role by an IT recruiter, you should have the skills in analyzing and filtering large data sets. You must also have experience in writing actionable reports, data modeling, and reporting, which you can gain during the certification process. The certificates that will be ideal for this position include Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate, IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, Associate Certified Analytics Professional, or SAS Certified Big Data Professional Using SAS 9.
- Software Developer
These experts design, test, implement, and manage software programs. They also have the ability to modify existing programs to fulfill the needs of any organization. These professionals evaluate software usability and efficiency and also implement programs, train the users, monitor systems, and integrate systems. Typically, this position requires holding the Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect, Puppet Labs Puppet Developer, ITIL Foundation, or AWS Certified Developer – Associate certificates. These options grant you the average annual salary of about $77,000 and more than 59,600 open jobs that you can choose.
Conclusion
Are you looking to change your job as an IT Support Specialist? Above are some of the top IT jobs of 2020 that you should think about. They come with a good salary and you can grow your career with any of these roles. If you don’t have any work experience, it is recommended that you consider earning an IT certification to improve your potential in the industry.