Must Have Information Technology Skills to Get a Job [entry-level, medium, senior]
Becoming a information technology expert may seem unreachable. To craft a winning resume, you need to define a skill set that would be perfect for this job.
We’ll help you to identify the information technology skills and become an ultimate pro. You’ll learn how to fit your previous accomplishments into Information Technology. It’s not a secret that you don’t have to be a super technician to succeed in IT.
What is Information Technology?
Information technology is about taking care of user experiences and troubleshooting computer problems.
To get more interviews, you need to demonstrate a solid knowledge of various processes, using your information technology technical skills to safeguard the company’s data.
People working in the IT field without a data science background usually engage in a project cycle as managing directors. One way or another, there’s always room for professional improvement, but you need specific skills to be an information technology pro.
Information Technology Technical Skills
Whether you’re an experienced employee or a new graduate, you need to comprise specific skills required for information technology. The main hard skills for information technology are:
- Cloud computing — to create a cloud-friendly workflow for better automation in the future
- Network security — includes open-source application knowledge and proficiency in systems like Linux OS.
- Project management — the reason for this skill is that IT professionals need to organize their time effectively to meet deadlines.
Information Technology Non-Technical Skills
For the IT field, you’ll need “hybrid skills” — a combination of hard skills and information technology non technical skills.
Here’s the list to help you get more interviews:
- Creativity — whether you apply for a Java Developer position or for a project manager, you have to anticipate solutions for potential tech problems.
- Determination — IT professional has to focus on an ultimate goal despite bad experiences that can happen during a project
- Flexibility — let’s say you are a network engineer facing a last-minute issue with a vendor. You need to be open to any possible changes or feedback and be ready to find a new solution for a problem as soon as possible.
Top Skills That Will Get You a Job
Recruiting firms research every applicant: from a LinkedIn headline to recommendations from employers. With changes in the IT field itself, job expectations and even job titles change. That’s why recruiters look for top information technology skills in every resume.
What are they? What qualifications should you highlight to be a perfect match?
- full stack development
- project and product management
- analytical skills
- communication
- problem-solving.
Let’s talk more about each of them to get clarity!
Full stack development
A full stack developer is a professional responsible for both client and server software. This skill is critical for a data scientist (as an example), but a basic understanding is required from every person working in IT.
A candidate must show good knowledge of HTML and CSS coding languages, as well as master their knowledge of JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, Vue, etc.
Project and product management
These roles may have a different trajectory, but the same principle — you need to know how to manage projects at different stages.
A product manager, in addition, needs to be aware of a product life cycle and know all the information inside and out. A product manager is a great communicator who’s able to recognize the pitfalls and solve issues immediately. If you'' need help with product manager resume writing you can ask for help our expert writers.
Analytical skills
Truly, one of the most needed information technology skills: Something will change every day, and your job (whether junior or senior) is to figure out a solution. It can be a bug in a code or shutting down the server, so be ready to go full Sherlock Holmes in a technical world!
Communication
Written and verbal communications are equally important, even on a remote basis. You’ll have emails and calls daily, so you need to know how to arrange your thoughts in the most appropriate order.
Plus, you must know how to pitch the ideas making people want to support and finance your projects. Communication skill is about teamwork and collaboration — you’ll never get as far as you want to without the right people on your side!
Problem-solving
As a prospective leader, you need to learn how to improve organizational processes. A candidate, who’s valuable to the company and generates creative ideas, will get a higher compensation and can climb career stairs much faster.
Here’s what the recruiter also implies by saying “problem-solving”:
- addressing information requirements
- identifying the hidden issues and potential pitfalls
- using opportunities created by technology innovations.
However, the skills are not everything employers want from you; sometimes, they might be enough for hiring, even if you don’t meet experience criteria.
How to Improve Information Technology Skills
If you’re excited and passionate about information technology — welcome to the club! This path isn’t easy, so before sending out a job application, you need to invest in your career seriously.
How to improve information technology skills? First, sign up for online courses; look out for schools or mentors who can reconfirm your knowledge and expertise. Keep in mind that a hiring manager will take a precise look at your resume, so consider our professional resume writing service to make you the perfect match for the position.
Find Online Degree Certification System
It’s a great alternative to spending another 4-5 years in university: you can both study and work; you can apply for internships and learn about data from any part of the world.
Studying online, you can gain many useful skills, such as development basics, project management, and data analysis. You won’t waste time on exams, improving your professional expertise, and getting knowledge straight from the comfort of your room.
Follow Influencers in the Field
Digital technology is changing at a breathtaking pace. The sources you used a few months ago can already be invalid, and you need to look up the emerging trends. We’ve gathered helpful resources from IT experts and top employers to get you started:
- TechCrunch.com — the best IT blog online, TechCrunch will tell you the latest industry news. Every year company hosts conferences around the world called “TechCrunch Disrupt.”
- Wired.com — combines blogs about IT products, games, and Internet security. Every story is your private guide to the world of innovation experiences and the way they influence the tech sector.
- Gizmodo — a provocative advance of inventions shaping our everyday lives
- Mashable.com — this information technology blog has enough entertainment content alongside delivering digital news to its audience;
- TheNextWeb.com — a webpage covering a range of technology subjects, combining them with business and culture.
If you’re interested in digging even deeper into the industry, you should definitely follow the most extraordinary experts on Twitter, such as:
- Zvi Avraham — the DevOps coder who shares his thoughts about coding languages
- Steven H. Bayless — senior director of telecom at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America
- Marilyn Cohodas — the tech journalist who writes about cybersecurity
- Jill Dyche — the book author, tweeting about the new reality in Big Data
- Michael Halloran — the creator of The FinTech Blog, who’s very adaptable to changes in financial technology.
Find a Company of Like-Minders
Information technology is all about communication. Besides knowing how to craft a winning resume, you need to create your own network of people sharing the same ideas as you do. The scientist skills are important, but to get into the inner circle of professionals, you have to browse career resources or ask a career advice expert for help.
This way, you’ll get your spot under the sun and build a great reputation.
Information Technology in the Workplace
The information technology specialists either occupy a central office or have an online job. Very few projects need to be present in real-time; teams often meet across different continents and time zones; therefore, for an information technology job, requirements are pretty flexible.
If you’re an IT professional, you have to be ready to work overtime (on weekends, for example) when there’s an urgent issue you need to resolve. You should discuss payment for additional hours right at the interview and set the price that will satisfy your ambitions.
How to Showcase Your Skills
To properly evaluate information technology skills, recruiters use resume-scanning software. To avoid misunderstanding, you need to make it laconic and short, but don’t miss out on important information.
Here’s the list of tips on how to make a skill section more appealing for recruiting firms:
- keep it relevant for a job
- include key qualifications separately
- ensure you add the most in-demand skills and also the ones mentioned in a job description.
Skills for Resume [Example]
Starting an information technology career, you have to tell the reason why the company should hire you. Check two different examples to see what you might have missed.
Skills for the job Interview
The recruiter won’t ask for skills needed to be a information technology worker during an interview, at least not directly. They will ask you to describe the situations which were likely to take place in the past so that you could show off how you handled them.
Take a look at some of them:
- Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it
- How would you describe the pace at which you work?
- How do you cope with additional pressure?
Sample for Information Technology Resume Skills section
The main requirements to pass through an applicant tracking system are — to be specific and be yourself. Don’t just copy-paste the skills from Google: make this section sound original.
To “win” a game with ATS bots, you should mention your original thoughts about how qualified you are. If you’re good at programming, take some space to describe the coding languages; if you worked with container technologies like Docker or Kubernetes, think what’s the highest achievement you can put here.
Information Technology skills in a resume skills section
To engage with a recruiter and show all your relevant experience on your resume, take some time to arrange the information technology skills properly.
Here’s what it can look like:
- cloud computing
- cybersecurity
- networking and wireless
- software development
- AI and machine learning
- project management
The list is not complete; it just highlights the “on-demand” disciplines to help you focus on specific achievements and engage with employers.
Information Technology skills in a resume work experience section
The top skills to submit a successful job application are development and programming. However, you can’t just apply for an information technology job without focusing on the most prominent qualifications.
Check out a simple and perfect example to describe your experience during a job search:
MacPaw Company
Front-End Developer
February 2015 - March 2021
- developed event and a legal platform technology solutions
- generated $40K+ in annual revenue in the role of a system administrator
- developed a node.js server to track usage of digital badges, saving the company around $20K.
Short Summary
The hiring process is tough and interesting at the same time. If you need to demonstrate specific information technology skills, it might distract from the real purpose of a job application. You may be a great professional but not a prolific writer; after all, that’s not the reason to give up, right?
If you’re struggling with a bot-beating resume, you can always get professional help — and our writers will approach you with unique ideas. No need to waste time writing a resume; just give us a call, and you’ll submit a successful application shortly!
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