It Skills to Learn in 2024: Best Guide

Recently, we wrote a guide on the top hard and soft future skills. It turned out that IT skills such as digital literacy, data analytics, and data visualization were cited the most in job descriptions.

Over the years, we can see a steady trend: the quality of talent improves. Being competent in a specific area is not enough to stay competitive in a talent market. However, candidates can outshine the other talents with hands-on IT skills on a CV. Let’s find out which skills will trend in 2024 and beyond. Read on!

Programming basics is a frequent in-demand skill even among non-tech jobs. Even with the programming basics, you’ll be able to read other people’s code, write your simple programs and algorithms, and have a deeper understanding of an IT project lifecycle.

Programming knowledge is like beading, which means you can learn new technologies based on your knowledge of previously learned languages. Besides, programming helps develop abstract and concept-level thinking, which is a must-have for many jobs.

According to the TIOBE Index, in September 2021, the top-5 of programming languages is the following:

1. C. It’s popular in desktop software development for Windows, UNIX, and Linux operating systems.

2. Python. In a non-tech business environment, this language is popular among managers, analysts, and marketers. They use Python to work with data in tables, databases, and even macros in Excel.

3. Java. A universal language for web and mobile application development. Most Android applications are written in Java.

4. C++. A popular technology for graphics-rich programs like photo and video editors and games.

5. C#. One of the top languages for desktop software development and games.

TIOBE Index is calculated from the number of search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo!, MSN, Wikipedia, etc.) results for programming language queries. Thus, the more programmers use the language and search solutions, the higher the programming languages are in the rating.

Gartner predicts that by 2024, 65% of all software development activity will be low code.

Low-code application platforms (LCAP) like Mendix, Quixy, and Microsoft PowerApps are alternatives to complex modern software development tools. Low-code platforms require little programming knowledge and a tech mindset to develop simple business applications.

Since building software requires careful design and maintenance, low-code platforms can be a lifesaver for managers, marketers, and any users without developer skills that can create and update a codebase without the risk of breaking anything. Thus, low-code development allows to relieve IT departments and save on IT outsourcing.

UI/UX design involves a thorough research and an understanding of the target audience to create meaningful and easy-to-use digital products. Leave those tasks to professionals, but master at least the basics of UI/UX design to keep the conversation going with professionals.

Think about it: most marketing strategies are based on digital products like landings, websites, mobile apps, and social media. For non-UI/UX designers, it’s vital to keep up with the latest UI and UX design trends and be able to convey your thoughts and ideas to professionals in this field.

Essential skills for a data analyst include Python and SQL, Java or Scala, cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Big Data processing technologies like Hadoop, Spark, and Kafka. Knowledge of algorithms and data structures and the basics of distributed systems is also a must.

Numerous studies prove that visual information is better perceived by the human brain and boosts people’s trust in the data shown.

In the business context, the power of data visualization is undeniable. For instance, research by Tableau shows that in organizations with visual data recovery tools, workers are 28% more likely to find timely information than in companies that only use managed reporting and dashboards.

That’s why data visualization skills are gaining traction among modern skills requirements. Data visualization is an essential part of data analytics that enables businesses to critically evaluate information and present it in a manageable way.

Tableau, Google Data Studio, PowerBI, Datawrapper, and Infogram are some of the most popular data visualization tools for marketers, managers, business analysts, and other occupations that involve working with a heavy amount of data.

Gone are the days when videos were the prerogative of TV and media production. In 2024, 91% of businesses used video marketing to spread the word about their products and services. Today, videos are used in all industries for numerous purposes: marketing, employee training, client onboarding and presentation, and more.

A surge of videos in practically all business aspects creates the need for talented people skilled in specific video editing software, writing scripts and video scenarios, and even SEO optimization for better ranking.

Customer management software (CRM) is a cornerstone of an efficient sales process. As customers are becoming more demanding, businesses need a 360-degree view of their target audience, touchpoints, purchasing behavior, and their customer experience.

That’s why fundamental CRM software skills are becoming more popular across job descriptions in managerial and marketing roles. For example, the CRM Software Research by G2 reveals that 73% of sales managers are using CRM tools. Adoption of CRM tools among marketing teams comprises 46% and 45% among customer service teams.

As a rule, product managers are front people of products and services being developed. They ensure product success from the concept stage to a timely market release. To do that, they need excellent project management skills, a thorough understanding of the software development process and a business domain, communication skills, business analysis, marketing basics, and other skills.

A product manager is a jack of all trades, and most product managers agree with that. In a recent survey, respondents named lack of time (50,8%) and lack of role clarity (35,0%) their key challenges working as product managers.

However, the value of a product manager is undoubted. With 81% of companies measuring the success of their products, it’s clear that either the dedicated role of a product manager or bringing specialists with product management skillsets is a total necessity.