Learn Technology Skills: Definitions and Types
A career in technology requires a specific set of skills that aren’t easily learned. That’s why almost every tech job available — from information technology (IT) consulting to JavaScript coding — requires applicants to have some type of formal training.
Determining the best type of training for your career is no easy task, though. There seems to be a near-endless amount of software to practice on and tactics to learn. Let us help you get started by running down the key technology skills you might learn while at Revature and how they can lead directly to a career.
What Are Technology Skills?
To the uninitiated, technology skills can mean something as simple as being able to upload a video to YouTube or post an article to a WordPress site, but in the tech industry, the definition is much more complex. A tech employer that stresses a need for technology skills means advanced training and demonstrable proficiency in a specific software, coding technique, or platform.
Having technology skills means you can write in JavaScript, analyze massive datasets, or maintain cloud computing services. Having these skills will make the difference in catching the attention of tech employers.
How You Can Highlight Your Technology Skills
The simplest way to showcase your technology skills is to include them on your resume and LinkedIn profile as well as in any cover letters. However, that won’t be nearly enough to impress potential employers — you have to prove you’ve mastered these skills.
Types of Technology Skills
Revature offers 10- to 14-week programs that pair you with the tech skills that are in demand today. Our training cohorts often focus on the following skills.
Java Skills
Java is a high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language designed with as few implementation dependencies as possible, meaning programmers can write code once and run it on any platform that supports Java. The TIOBE index ranks Java as the third most popular coding language, which is why there’s such an unceasing desire for Java programmers. Java is more beginner friendly than most coding languages and has a similar syntax to C++, making it a great foundational language to learn to launch a tech career.
Salesforce Skills
Salesforce has been the No. 1 customer relationship management (CRM) software in the world for five years running, as reported by Mason Frank International. Salesforce is primarily focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development. The Salesforce Platform is a platform as a service (PAAS) that allows developers to build their own add-on applications using proprietary declarative tools similar to Java. Developing Salesforce skills will give you the ability to develop key applications and processes for the world’s most popular CRM platform, an ecosystem that the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts will have 4.2 million jobs available from 2019 to 2024, according to Salesforce Ben.
Big Data Skills
Big data is an unavoidable buzzword that can be found in virtually every major company’s future plans and strategies. The explosive popularity of big data isn’t unfounded, and a very clear reason exists as to why so many organizations are making data science a key aspect of their future: Data is everywhere, and never before has so much data been so readily accessible. Knowing how to collect, store, and glean insights from mountains of data can make you a highly desirable tech professional who can be a transformative leader in various organizations. Big data refers to extraordinarily large datasets that traditional data processing applications can’t process. Various tools can be used to collect, store, and analyze big data; however, the most commonly used tools include Integrate.io, Adverity, Dataddo, and Apache.
Cloud Computing Skills
It wasn’t long ago that the idea of cloud computing sounded more like science fiction than reality. Today, it’s become commonplace in everyday life, and companies large and small around the world use cloud services. To put it simply, clouds are digital data storage systems that use various real-world anchor points to connect to and store data on the internet. Near-countless business applications for cloud computing exist, but the most recognizable consumer applications include Netflix, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Apple’s iCloud. Gaining skills in cloud computing can allow prospective tech professionals to help companies develop, maintain, and protect cloud-based infrastructures.
Python Skills
Few programming languages are as versatile as Python, which has applications across various technological disciplines and fields. Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that’s renowned for its straightforward syntax, which is similar to the English language, making it popular and user friendly. In fact, the TIOBE index rates Python as the most popular programming language as of May 2022. Python is flexible and not domain specific, allowing it to be used for everything from web development to data analytics. Learning how to develop Python applications can turn aspiring coders and programmers into versatile technology professionals who can be put to work in various scenarios.
ServiceNow Skills
Though not as immediately recognizable as Salesforce or Amazon Web Services, ServiceNow is a leading cloud computing platform that provides digital workflow management systems for enterprise IT operations. ServiceNow training can help new tech workers become IT experts and will provide them with the knowledge needed to manage IT services and operate IT help desk operations. ServiceNow is beginner friendly and very popular among large organizations, making it an integral software for professionals who are interested in IT infrastructure services careers.
React Skills
Initially introduced in 2013 by Facebook (now Meta), React is an open-source, front-end JavaScript library used to build user interfaces for single-page, mobile, and server-rendered applications. Much like Java, React’s popularity largely comes from its beginner-friendly nature and overall simplicity.
Developers particularly love React because it allows them to declaratively describe user interfaces, reducing a fair amount of the coding out of the development process. React also boasts many reusable components, making it more efficient and much easier to scale. Some of the biggest companies in the world — such as Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, Instagram, and Amazon — use React for front-end development, meaning a mastery of the library can open up major career opportunities for tech professionals.
C# Skills
Not to be confused with C++, C# (pronounced “C sharp”) is a high-level programming language that Microsoft developed and is used across various programming disciplines, such as lexically scoped, functional, declarative, and class- and component-based disciplines. C# is having a resurgence among professional programmers and is currently ranked as the No. 5 language by the TIOBE index. TIOBE reports that no programming language has grown in popularity over the last 12 months as C# has and predicts that the language will crack the top three soon.
C# is becoming the go-to language for the enterprise world and is particularly loved because it can be used to build applications for mobile devices and computers. It’s also been around for so long that it benefits from a deep open-source community library. With C# catching up to Python, Java, and C++ in popularity, learning the intricacies of the language could give prospective developers an edge over their peers.
Object-Oriented Programming Skills
Sometimes simply referred to as OOP, object-oriented programming is an approach to programming languages that focuses on organizing software design around objects (data) and classes (reusable code templates). Most of the programming languages and skills already covered use OOP. OOP allows developers to more freely manipulate objects in their code based on any unique attributes or specifics, making it especially effective for large, complex programs that are frequently modified. Because OOP is used in so many programming languages, it’s an important skill for aspiring programmers to hone.
Tableau Skills
Tableau is a popular software tool used for data analytics visualization. The business intelligence platform allows users to process raw data, analyze it, and visualize the analysis via easy-to-use dashboards. The charts and graphs produced via Tableau help companies create actionable insights that can be used to inform decision-making processes. While the data visualization dashboards are usable by nontechnical professionals, analytics professionals who specialize in Tableau are responsible for helping businesses garner the best intelligence from their data.
Pega Skills
Pega provides enterprise software solutions for workflow automation and decision support. Its low-code platform is supported by automation and AI features, allowing companies to reduce manual processes and focus on collaboration and outcomes. The Pega platform offers case management, customer relationship management, and business process management functionality. Tech professionals specializing in Pega applications development may have Pega certified system architect (PSCA) or Pega certified senior system architect (PCSSA) credentials.
How to Improve Your Technical Skills
Due to the massive popularity of the technology skills outlined here, there are incredible communities behind each software that have developed countless do-it-yourself guides so you can develop these skills on your own. Self-teaching, however, is rarely enough to land you stable employment. If you’re going to improve your technical skills, your best option is to undergo formal training, like that offered in Revature’s 10- to 14-week programs — and at Revature, you’ll have a job waiting for you when you’re done.
We’ll train you on the precise technology skills required to fulfill industry demand, bridging the technology skills gap so that you have a streamlined pathway to break into the field. After training you on these key skills, we’ll place you in a job with one of our leading tech partners, meaning you go straight from training to the workforce. This revolutionary hire, train, and deploy (HTD) model empowers the next generation of innovation in technology, equalizing the opportunity for aspiring tech professionals like you to fulfill your potential and launch your new career.
How to Include Technical Skills on Your Resume
The best way to showcase technical skills on your resume is to create a dedicated section that outlines your expertise. You’ll also want to use your work experience section as an opportunity to demonstrate various projects you’ve worked on using technology skills — for example, if you developed a transformative predictive analytics system using Python or if you developed a cloud-based infrastructure for a local retail chain to access across locations.
Demonstrating these skills on a resume can be tricky, as simply naming them in a bulleted list won’t be particularly memorable or eye-catching to potential employers. That’s why Revature provides real-world training. So your experience is much more than a bullet point – it’s an actual problem that you helped solve.
How to Keep Your Technical Skills Relevant
The best way to keep skills relevant is to keep practicing them. The tech industry is constantly in flux, so if you lapse for even a month, you run the risk of missing out on a major software update or a groundbreaking new technique. It’s important to stay engaged with the tech community, so you can always be in the loop of the latest industry trends. Maintaining a strong relationship with other members of the tech industry will also help you locate education opportunities that’ll help you improve or, at the very least, resharpen your skills. Thankfully, Revature’s close cohort model will help you establish close friendships with the future tech professionals of America, so you’ll always be connected to the tech community.
As with other industries, the tech space has numerous industry conferences and trade shows throughout the year that are great opportunities to measure your skills and locate opportunities for improvement. Consumer shows such as the CES convention host presentations of the newest products in the consumer electronics industry, and more industry-specific conferences, such as the Datacloud Global Congress, feature keynote presentations and roundtable discussions on pressing issues within the tech industry. If you lack the resources or time to attend a show or conference, you can still gain insider knowledge by seeking out white papers and case studies from top companies to uncover what new strategies they’re using to become more successful.
Join Revature and Develop the Technology Skills You Need for a Career
Developing and honing your technology skills will lead to a rewarding, lasting job in tech, and millions of tech jobs are available. Revature’s unique training model can help teach the types of tech skills you need and lead you directly to a job in tech — all at zero cost to you. You have what it takes to unlock a tech career; you just have to start here to get there. Apply to Revature today.
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