Author • Aisha Akinbani

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Skills Development in Technology

In this day and age, technology is the go-to for almost everyone. Whether you're interested in working as a tech expert or you just want to sell your products, you'll always need technical services to strive. It's no longer news that every industry now wants individuals who know one or two technical skills that can be used to help them boost their visibility and reach a wider audience.

To strategically position yourself, you should strive to improve your skills and seek to learn more hard and soft skills. This is important if you don't want to lose your job and get replaced by machines. In this article, we'll be discussing different types of hard skills and soft skills, where you can learn these skills, and the resources you'll need to practice and kickstart your career in tech.

1. Technical Skills

Technical skills are the skills you need to work effectively and accomplish specific technical-related tasks. They can also be known as hard skills. These skills require you to know how to use specific technology, software, or equipment to do certain tasks. Let's look at some of the technical skills you should know:

Coding Languages

These are programming languages that are written to instruct the computer to perform certain tasks. There are various types of coding languages you can learn to work with. Most of the time, you'll need to learn two or more of these coding languages to be able to stay in the competition and carry out tasks effectively.

Some of these top coding languages include:

HTML

HTML, known as Hypertext Markup Language can be said to be the simplest programming language that has ever existed. While some people may argue that it is not a standard coding language, it is still used to instruct the computer on how pages are to be displayed. 

Basic knowledge of HTML can go a long way in helping you in this digital world, and if you're looking to start a career in front-end development, then HTML should be your go-to as a beginner. 

CSS

Cascading Style Sheet is another simple and easy language to learn. It is used together with HTML to give certain instructions to the computer. With this language, you'll be able to instruct the computer on how your page should be styled and the format you want.

With HTML and CSS, you can create a simple and beautiful page just by writing the appropriate codes. 

Java

This object-oriented and high-level programming language is used by app developers, and back-end developers to develop various apps, and software and carry out different tasks respectively. 

Unlike HTML and CSS, you won't be able to run a Java program when there is an error in the codes you wrote as it is a statistically typed language. This will help you to focus on writing codes correctly to achieve a desirable output. 

Java programmers are in high demand in the job market and you can never go wrong with learning this coding language.

Python

Python is also an object-oriented high-level programming language that can be used to create software, analyze data, and build websites. This programming language can also be used by non-programmers such as small business owners, and digital marketers to accomplish different tasks. 

These tasks include file renaming, keeping track of the stock market, filling out forms online, updating shopping lists, and many more. Full-stack engineers, back-end engineers, and DevOps engineers are some of the job professionals who use Python.

PHP

This is a scripting programming language that is used to create dynamic web pages. As a server-side scripting language, Hypertext Processor can be used alongside languages such as HTML to create responsive websites while serving as the source code. 

Knowledge of PHP will be useful for you as a WordPress developer or a back-end engineer.

JavaScript

Just like HTML and CSS, JavaScript is a programming language that is useful for front-end developers. It is also a scripting language that allows you to add more features to your page. It is used alongside HTML and CSS to create a dynamic display.

C++

C++ is a programming language that can be used to build various applications. It is one of the top programming languages used in the gaming development, and system software development fields to create applications. 

With C++, codes can be written generically and re-used which gives it a higher advantage over some other programming languages. 

TypeScript

TypeScript is a programming language that can be said to support JavaScript. This is because you can't use TypeScript without the knowledge of JavaScript. Although both of these languages are used alongside each other, they also have their differences. 

2. Soft Skills

These are individual skills and are not technically oriented. Soft skills are individual traits and attributes that help to increase your chances of getting selected for a job. These skills include communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Communication

The ability to communicate effectively with audiences and consumers, learn their differences, understand their pain points, and give the right responses is a skill most companies want their employees to possess. 

With outstanding communication skills, you'll not only be able to interact with your audiences effectively, but also foster a long-lasting relationship with your consumers and employers. 

Problem-solving

Everyone wants to work with a problem-solver, someone who knows how to give suggestions on how to tackle and solve specific industry problems to provide outstanding services to consumers. 

As a problem solver, you should be able to define a problem, analyze it, proffer possible solutions, implement the best solution, and evaluate the results. You should be able to determine whether your strategy is producing the desired result your organization wants to achieve.

Teamwork

To achieve outstanding results, there is a need for teamwork in any organization. This will not only help to foster good relationships amongst employees, but it'll also enable them to have an in-depth understanding of the company's goals and strategies. 

The ability to work in a team is one of the best soft skills an individual should possess to work better and more effectively.

3. Online learning platforms and resources

These are platforms you can utilize to learn various technical skills of your choice. 

Coursera

Coursera is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of technical courses. With Coursera, you can learn at your own pace and get certified after the completion of your course. 

This site is one of the most widely used online platforms for technical learning. The best part is that you can make use of the free courses that are offered on this platform without stress.

Udemy

This learning platform covers a wide range of niches, ranging from technical courses to non-technical courses. This site also offers certification of completion when you take paid courses on the platform. 

Whether you want to create courses or take them, Udemy is your best bet. 

EdX

EdX is an online learning platform that offers students opportunities to learn educational courses that cover a wide range of topics and technical courses. Students can start and finish a bachelor's degree online using EdX. You can check out EdX reviews to know more about what others are saying about this platform.

Udacity

Just like other online learning platforms, Udacity offers quite a number of free online courses that don't come with certification. You can get certified by enrolling in the platform's paid courses while learning at your own pace. You can take courses in data analysis, business analysis, digital marketing, programming, and many more on Udacity. 

Skillshare

Skillshare is good for individuals who want to take online courses or create their courses. You can access Skillshare courses by subscribing monthly on the platform. This learning platform doesn't house a lot of technical courses, unlike Coursera or Udemy. Also, Skillshare doesn't offer certification after the completion of a course. 

YouTube

This is a social media platform that offers video tutorials that cover various topics. Unlike other learning platforms mentioned above, YouTube does not offer certification and is free to use anytime. 

YouTube is good for individuals who need quick answers to the questions they have. It can also be used to learn new skills, however, tech newbies may find it difficult to use it to learn new skills effectively. 

5. Technical resources

These are resources that will help you to learn and implement the technical skills you want to learn effectively. They can be physical or abstract and some of them include but aren't limited to laptops, printers, workstations, software applications, information, data, time, and network.

To cap it all, technological skills can't be underrated in this digital age due to the impact it has on the development of our businesses and how much it has made our work easier. Individuals with technical skills will always be in high demand as a lot of companies are always looking for ways to improve their visibility and standards to position themselves and stay connected with their audiences. 

Aisha Akinbani.