Software development, analytics, and Facebook proficiency listed as most in-demand skills

PostBeyond has released a study on what the most in-demand skills for job-seekers are right now, finding that employers are increasingly interested in finding candidates who have experience managing analytics or those who know how to operate and communicate with clients via Facebook. Researchers with PostBeyond examined 1,000 job ads within three tech job sectors—development, digital marketing, and social media—to figure out what skills most employers were looking for.  

Analytics and Facebook proficiency, as well as experience with Agile and Java, topped the list of skills being sought after in the tech industry.  

“It’s never easy sifting through job posts with industry-specific jargon,” said Daniel Ku, marketing director at PostBeyond. “By revealing the most in-demand skills, we’ll be able to aid applicants in knowing what are the most sought after—and whether it’s a good time to apply for a role.” 

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Knowledge of analytics was the most in-demand skill with more than 37% advertisements analyzed featuring the skill, according to the study. 

Development is the most skilled sector, with almost half of advertisements requiring a skill within the industry. Knowledge and understanding of Facebook, to operate and communicate with clients, is the second most in-demand skill, with Agile as the third most in-demand skill after being referenced in 35% of the 1,000 posts they searched through.

Ku explained that many different roles can use Facebook in a variety of ways, from posting updates and interacting with a brand’s customers and audience to the data analysis of how a user interacts on the platform. 

The rest of the list includes skills related to SEO, Javascript, APIs, SQL, Python, AWS, as well as proficiency with social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. 

Microsoft 365, Google Analytics, HTML 5, Photoshop, CSS, and Google Ads rounded out the list of potential skills employers are looking for in new candidates.  

The researchers found that 44% of the posts analyzed requiring developer skills related to  Java, APIs, Linux, Scrum and Python.

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“Through highlighting these skills that are in-demand, applicants will have the opportunity to call attention to the skills they possess—potentially making the hiring process easier for both the applicant and employer,” Ku said. 

According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report from September, the number of jobs in the IT field has fallen from a peak in June of 6 million jobs to about 5.5 million. The unemployment rate for the IT industry has reached 4.6%, the highest number since 2011.

International consulting firm Janco Associates released a study of the IT market, finding that by the end of the year, there will be nearly 79,000 fewer jobs in the IT industry than there were in 2019. 

According to executives who spoke to Janco, the hiring wave will not return to normal until about the second quarter of 2021. 

“We have found that a number of companies have already shuttered their doors or are expanding layoffs that are impacting the IT job market. This includes the airline and travel industries that are now starting lay-offs.  As a result, IT professionals working for those companies are looking for new employment opportunities,” Janco Associates CEO M. Victor Janulaitis.

“Spending for IT products and services has all but stopped as companies reevaluate the state of the economy globally as new waves of selected shutdowns occur. With more companies adopting WFH to address “social distancing” and avoiding in-office contacts, fewer companies are taking an aggressive approach to any additional spending for IT products and services.”

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