HydroKnow's Ideal Jobs

Out of all jobs presented here, Will’s role of ICT Systems Engineer was the most in-demand title in 2018, coming in at number 4 in Burning Glass’ Top Titles (2018). When ranking these jobs on demand according to the data, the order goes as follows: ICT Systems Engineer, Systems Administrator, Test Analyst, Web Developer, and Software Developer. Although Burning Glass doesn't mention any Cybersecurity roles, Job Outlook provides evidence of ICT Security jobs indicating very strong future growth (Job Outlook, 2019). Analysing Job Outlook’s more recent collection of data, each job mentioned within our team has a projected growth of at least strong, with some gaining the “very strong” growth label.

HydroKnow's Required Skill Set

IT-Related Skills

  • Knowledge of Programming Languages:
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • SQL
    • C++
    • Python
    • Java
  • Cybersecurity Knowledge
  • Knowledge of Git
  • Software Engineering
  • Website Production
  • Understanding of Algorithms
  • Solid Hardware and Software Knowledge
  • Database Knowledge

General Skills

  • Attention to Detail
  • Problem Solving
  • Ability to Collaborate and Lead Teams
  • Strong Communication Skills
  • Management
  • Troubleshooting
  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Ability to Meet Strict Deadlines
  • Technical Aptitude
  • A Desire to Learn
  • Ability to Work Independently

The technical skills that we as a team are aiming to gain throughout our study had far more overlap than originally expected, considering some of the roles are vastly different. Looking at Burning Glass’ data on Skills in Greatest Demand (Specialised Skills) (2018), SQL is the most in-demand specialised skill, which is essential to a few of our career paths. The ranking of our remaining specialised skills are the following: JavaScript at #2, Software Engineering at #15, Website Production at #17, Git at #21 and Python at #22.

The three highest ranked specialised skills in IT that aren’t involved in our group’s required skill set are Java at #3, Microsoft Windows at #4, and Project Management at #5. I would argue however that all skills mentioned in the Burning Glass data would be applicable to any IT job, so although these weren’t explicitly listed as skills needed for each member’s ideal job, everyone would benefit from all 25 skills mentioned in the data.

Our general skills had almost the same amount of overlap as the IT-related skills did. This was as expected for the general skills category; most skills that are mentioned are a necessity to any successful career, not just within the IT field. According to Burning Glass’ data on Skills in Greatest Demand (Baseline Skills) (2018), the most in-demand general skill is communication. This is unsurprising as communication (or lack thereof) can be the make-or-break of a team and its tasks. Following on from communication; problem solving is #2, teamwork / collaboration is #5, detail-oriented is #8 and management is at #19.

The three unmentioned highest-ranking general skills in our required skill set are organisational skills at #3, writing at #4 and planning at #7. Again, although these skills aren’t explicitly listed as necessities for our ideal jobs, we would all value greatly from mastering most, if not all skills mentioned in the provided data.

After analysing the data in its entirety, it would be ignorant not to acknowledge that we as members did not pick the most in-demand jobs, however I don’t believe that this is any indicator of bad decision-making. To perform at your absolute best, you have to pick something that you are interested in, and most importantly, enjoy. Although our opinions have not changed on our ideal jobs, we are aware of the most prevalent roles in IT now and can utilise it to make informed decisions in the future.