Looking Ahead: Developer Skills

With many companies challenged to maintain current staffing levels, it may seem premature to identify what developer skills will be needed most in the next five years. However, this partial list of essential skills can be helpful for IT professionals looking to remain relevant and employed through the years and economic cycles ahead.

• One of the big three languages: Barring a radical shift in the world of development, most, if not all, developers will need to know at least one of the 'big three' systems: .NET, .PHP, and/or Java. But, it may not be enough to know just the core languages. Developers should learn related libraries and frameworks as projects often involve functionality from unrelated sources.
• People/soft skills: The time when an IT professional could be successful while locked away in a closet writing code is no more. With IT reaching into every function of an organization, it's important to be able to successfully interact with a wide variety of people in and outside the organization. IT professionals with strong communication, teamwork and analytical skills will be in high demand.
• Web development and services: Developers should be able to work with the underlying technology used to develop Web services. Why? The more a developer can work with CSS, JavaScript, and even HTML, the more valuable the developer will be to employers.
• RIA (Rich Internet Applications): Flash, along with competitors like Silverlight, AJAX, and JavaFX, is being used for more than games and animations. An accomplished developer will need solid experience with at least one RIA.
• Mobile: Applications developed and designed for mobile devices are becoming increasingly important and a high-value opportunity area for ambitious developers.