As technology and innovation advance, information technology professionals are increasingly in demand. After all, the IT market is constantly growing, as are the technological demands of clients and consumers.

A report by Brasscom (Brazilian Association of Information and Communication Technology Companies), released in 2019, predicted a “technical blackout” caused by a shortfall in the training of new IT professionals. It estimated that 70,000 IT professionals would be needed, while only 46,000 people would graduate from higher education with the right profile for the sector.

IT market growth for 2021

With the Coronavirus pandemic, companies have had to adapt. As a result, growth projections for 2020 and 2021 had to be revised. Fortunately, the adoption of tools and software and Software as a Service (SaaS) has made it possible for corporate production and processes to continue operating.

A study carried out by IDC in June and updated in September of this year predicted 9% growth for the market, but this was readjusted to 6.8%. Investment, on the other hand, fell from 6 per cent to 2.8 per cent.

Fortunately, even when reassessed, the projections continue to show significant growth for the sector. Although they have been reduced, the outlook remains positive.

The main skills required by the IT market

For those who want to enter the field, several competencies are basic requirements. Personal characteristics and skills, known as soft skills, are just as fundamental as technical knowledge.

IT careers can offer a Y career bifurcation: dividing professionals between generalists/managers and specialists. In both cases, continuous study, keeping abreast of trends and constant updating are essential.

As hardware, software and programming languages change, you need to keep your knowledge up to date for the various challenges that lie ahead. And this includes mastering other languages, which consequently opens doors to new knowledge.

The soft skills most sought after by the technology market are:

• Organisation;
• Adaptability
• Communicability;
• Productivity
• Flexibility.

The specifications and technical certifications required will vary according to company, department and seniority. Thus, three hard skills that are constant in the search for new employees are:

• Technical know-how;
• Data Analysis;
• Problem-solving.

The main trends for the future

The IT market dictates trends and these, in turn, dictate where and when investments will be made. Full of possibilities and novelties, the market continues to search for technologies that will increase productivity and profitability, as well as create business models.

5G

Brazil does not yet have the necessary structure to receive and replicate 5G technology, but we can already see this movement happening in other countries. Companies that want to get ahead of the competition are already adapting to ensure that scalable, real-time data architectures are ready for the multiple streams of information that will be available.

Augmented Reality

By bringing the virtual into reality, the union between them creates augmented reality. The potential of this technology is huge and opens up space to get the best of both worlds. The use of QR Codes is one of the simplest examples of how a real, printed image in the physical world can lead to various virtual locations – websites, e-commerces and games, for example.

IoT (Internet of Things)

Transforming analogue devices into their intelligent versions can only be achieved through the Internet of Things. Through sensors, monitoring and connection, it’s possible to connect appliances with others of the same type, integrate and even automate functions – whether it’s a fridge or a data centre cooling system, for example.

Big Data

Smartphones, computers, data centres, websites, social networks, and even the smart fridge we mentioned above – all of these are collecting data from their users every second. This whirlwind of information needs to be filtered, categorised and stored so that the data can be turned into information and then into insights.

DataOps

Following similar principles to DevOps, this version of agile methodology is widely used to optimise data analysis, especially in Big Data. By unifying workflows and reducing manual processes, there is an exponential increase in the ability to extract value and insights from information. Team productivity also increases, making it possible to quickly identify issues that cause problems and delays.

Artificial Intelligence

If IoT makes it possible to connect devices to each other and to a network, artificial intelligence takes connectivity to another level. The internet and other databases are used to train machines, which in the future will be able to correct themselves, update themselves and even learn independently. In this way, machines will be able to warn when they are close to a possible failure by analysing all possible scenarios according to the present, for example.

What areas are in greatest demand in the IT market?

Intrinsically connected, the most promising areas can be divided into four categories:

Development

Developing and creating solutions, which can range from application to automation, according to the company’s needs.

Information Security

Keeping data and information safe through protocols and strategies. Ensuring that everything is in compliance, reducing the chances of non-compliance and attacks that can stop operations.

Infrastructure

The foundation of the entire IT landscape, it is responsible for ensuring that all equipment is up-to-date, optimised and fully functional. Hardware upgrades, tool changes and adoption also fall under the umbrella of infrastructure responsibilities.

Cloud

Storing information and using virtual machines for data processing and operations can be done via the cloud. Checking technical and economic feasibility, and migrating between other forms of storage are part of the category’s scope.

Keeping up with IT market trends is very important for professionals who want to grow in this area. A reference in recruiting developers, Parafernália specialises in IT Staffing and CTO as a Service solutions.

Take the opportunity to register your CV in our database. There’s sure to be a vacancy suitable for your professional profile waiting for you.