The year 2020 was a washout – in more ways than one. Now, the world is slowly getting back on its feet and recalibrating itself to a new way of life – to the realities of a post-pandemic living.
The jobs landscape, for instance, has undergone significant changes – and it’s important to stay on top of the trends if you are planning a career (or a career change).
Here’s a look at the Top 10 IT skills in-demand for 2021.
With the median salary of a System Analyst held at (approx.) $90,920 per year, i.e., $43.71 per hour, and a predicted growth rate of 7% (2019 – 2029), System Analyst remains a top in-demand skill. Predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this growth is anticipated as the further adoption of cloud computing by both large and small businesses, and the increasing use of IT services in healthcare settings are expected to increase demands for this position and professionals.
The transformational reach of AI and Machine Learning has led to the creation of huge job opportunities across a wide range of industries. This has also made it an indispensable demand-skill. LinkedIn’s Top 15 In-Demand Jobs in 2021 placed AI practitioners in the top 15. The fact that 9 out of 10 Americans use AI services in one form or another every day only goes on to prove how AI and Machine Learning will be a vying demand skill even in 2021.
Source: Burning Glass
The year 2020 led millions of companies to shift to cloud services for business continuity and cost efficiency. According to Indeed, Cloud Architect came in among the best jobs based on highest average base salary and expected growth. This is a reflection of how this demand is sure to stay on even in 2021as more companies move to cloud platforms. Topped with this demand is also its good salary package, i.e., average salary of a cloud Architect is $106,100 year (US) and ₹1,897K / year (India).
With cyber-attacks becoming more frequent, cybersecurity jobs have become a necessity, especially for companies dealing with large data online. The 2019/2020 Official Annual Cybersecurity Jobs Report showed 350% growth in open cybersecurity positions from 2013 to 2021. However, even as growth is seen, there is a huge gap in cyberspace talent as the NY Times reported a talent crunch with 3.5 million unfilled jobs globally by 2021. The good news is more and more companies and ramping up their security by increasing their budgets in cybersecurity.
The mobile market share (worldwide) is recorded at 55.73% in December 2020, overtaking the desktop and tablet market share. The truth is that phones are no longer just ‘phones’ – they are now lifelines that combine everything from cameras and alarm clocks to being connected and updated with news and information. People spend 90% of their time on applications while using their phones. As businesses attempt to catch up with the changing trend, mobile technology is becoming more and more competitive, making Mobile Application Developers among the top in-demand skills in 2021.
Given that these in-demand (tech) skills, here’s a look at globally ranked universities in Computer Science & Information Systems (based on two renowned ranking platforms- QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020: Computer Science & Information Systems, and THE World University Rankings 2021 by subject: computer science)
| University | Country | QS ranking | THE Ranking |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 01 | 03 |
| Stanford University | United States | 02 | 02 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | United States | 03 | 05 |
| University of California, Berkeley | United States | 04 | 09 |
| University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 05 | 01 |
| University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 06 | 06 |
| Harvard University | United States | 07 | 07 |
| EPFL | Switzerland | 08 | =16 |
| ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland | 09 | 04 |
| University of Toronto | Canada | 10 | 23 |
| Princeton University | United States | 11 | 11 |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | 12 | 08 |
| Tsinghua University | China (Mainland) | 13 | 12 |
| Imperial College London | United States | 14 | 10 |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | United States | 15 | =16 |
As remote work becomes more real, companies across the globe scramble to adapt to the IT job market. This is an ideal time to consider one getting the in-demand skills while deciding on the subject/course you wish to undertake.
It’s a tech-first world and you need to be prepared for it, no matter what field you choose.
Find our more about most in-demand jobs in Canada in 2021.
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