In the present tumultuous times, the IT sector can become the backbone of the developing country if channelized appropriately. A myriad of enterprises is including digital channels and new working standards to accommodate the remote working condition. Besides, the unprecedented times of pandemic have proven to be an opportunity for forming clusters of employees who are skilled in their areas of expertise, work cross-industry, and can push ahead.

Thus, both recruiters and job-seekers would witness new hiring trends in the IT industry in the year 2021. Next year, the emerging trends in IT-related jobs wouldn't merely empower organizations to recruit skilled professionals that promote their business goals but would also be a reason to improve the career skill sets for aspirants.

Here is what’s in store for the IT sector in 2021.

Augmented Reality will be Mainstream

Augmented Reality is the next big thing after Virtual Reality, which is firmly setting its foot in the IT industry. Presently, AR technology is employed in gaming, interior designing, automobile sector, education sector and several others. No doubt, the future holds much more. 

Enterprises will leverage this technology more often in their marketing practices to engage their potential users or customers. Moreover, AR may play a significant role in daily interactions to help individuals adjust to a post-COVID world's limitations. There is even a prediction of the development of AR-enabled stadiums that can let fans watch live action through AR. 

With the extensive growth of augmented reality in the IT sector, demand for employees with these skillsets is evident. Since AR is going to be mainstream, there will be more job opportunities in this field. 

Cybersecurity for Safe WFH Environment

Cybersecurity will dominate the priorities of all IT organizations. The lockdown due to pandemic has forced almost every company to allow its workforce to Work from Home. 

Organizations thus, have to switch from network segregation and physical space security to endpoint security. 

Therefore, cybersecurity tools will become more prevalent in regular work routines during WFH by the next year. Identities, personal information, and devices of remote workers are the new security perimeter. Consequently, cybersecurity technology is continuously unfolding to stay robust against the advancing cybercriminals. IT departments have to make contingency plans, new policies, and backup systems for internal communication methods. 

Since cybersecurity is evolving, even hiring in this industry can see three times faster growth than other IT domains. In fact, by 2026, the global cybersecurity market can be worth $270Bn as per reports. This anticipated situation generates demand for employees that can handle both security and technical responsibilities.

Business and Marketing Understanding

IT experts' role today does not limit to the technical aspects. Pondering about achieving business results to increase the company's ROI is also crucial for them to deliver the maximum value to their organization. For instance, even a professional such as a data analyst must have the business knowledge to come up with appropriate stories from the data.

Hence, this ever-changing marketplace looks out for IT professionals who understand how to apply and monetize technology efficiently with the company's infrastructure.

It means an employee needs to have the aptitude and mindset to create unique business strategies and secure a position in the company.

Soft Skills to Maintain Human Connection

Data literacy and technical skills are unquestionably the priority in the era of AI, automation, and big data. However, the human touch is equally vital too. Imagination, creative thinking, and analytical thinking are assets in future workplaces that robots and machines fail to execute as compared to humans. 

Thus, soft skills can play a massive role in securing a job in the IT sector or flourishing in your IT profession. Employees with the right skill set can solve complicated problems and offer innovative ideas to the company by applying reasoning and logic.

Along with this, decision making skill is another part of soft skills that will help an IT professional to gauge the pros and cons of a certain situation. Lastly, someone with good leadership skills can also encourage and support others to perform well, even in a remote working environment.

Summing it up:

The IT industry has been evolving due to the ongoing impact of pandemic and the worldwide lockdown. Post-COVID hiring policies depend on how swiftly different sectors plan to scale and transfer their working strategies from traditional to digital, these include healthcare, FMCG, supply chains, delivery, and manufacturing sectors. 

Additionally, pandemic expedited the demand for specific disciplines and abilities across the IT job market. Hence, IT hiring will witness a significant change in the key skills and salary expectations to fit the new business practices.

Companies which undergo digital transformation must stay afloat and on top of the game, which is only possible by hiring qualified IT employees. Not ones with just technical capabilities but also the above-discussed skill sets.