Practical tech skills

Practical tech skills these days are in high demand. With most industries hopping onto the digital bandwagon, it’s easy to see why it’s high time for job seekers to follow suit. 

While it may take some degree of mastery to rule the world of computers, it’s not impossible to pick these skills up even if you’re a beginner. Not to mention, it’ll come to good use if you’re looking to command a higher salary, get a promotion, or simply future-proof your career. Here are six practical tech skills to get started with: 

1. Machine learning

We may not notice it, but machine learning has become part of our everyday lives. Whether it’s your Netflix show recommendations or facial recognition to unlock your phone, these automated functions have been made possible thanks to machine learning.

Of course, that’s only the very tip of the iceberg. Machine learning erases the need for humans to manually programme computers to carry out a function – essentially allowing “machines” to learn from the data they collect. So, those ads you’ve been seeing on your IG feed, or even self-driving cars of the future? These are all made possible thanks to self-learning computers.

With numerous companies going digital, needless to say, this skill will be in high-demand for many years to come.  

2. Digital Marketing

From flash sale updates to new food deals, chances are we’ve been victims of a well-designed digital marketing effort. Though we might not notice it from a customer’s POV, this skill set requires in-depth knowledge of consumer and competitor trends in order to “sell” a product.

On top of that, the ability to analyse data and determine how well the brand is performing on digital platforms such as Google and Instagram will be a bonus.

Employers across numerous industries are always looking for ways to improve their digital presence, and that’s where your digital marketing skills will help you stand out as a candidate.

3. UX Design

There’s nothing more off-putting than navigating through a complicated website or app. This only goes to show that good design is key. After all, you’ll likely end up not buying a product if the process of purchasing it is too complex. 

That’s why a quick search through job sites would show that UX (user experience) design is a skill that’s valued in numerous companies. As a UX designer, you’ll also get to explore a more creative side of tech and data. Expect to put yourself in the shoes of users to come up with easy-to-use platforms such as websites and mobile apps. 

4. Data analytics

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, as long as you’re selling a product or service, data analytics will be the key that unlocks consumer behaviour for you to finetune your business and bring in more cash.

From mining raw data to uncover patterns and oddities to mastering the use of data visualisation tools to help you make sense of it all, data analytics will help you streamline backend processes and refine your brand’s offerings. It’ll also help forecast outcomes and understand what it is that motivates your customers.

You’ll also be able to add proficiency in Python, SQL and Microsoft Excel to your resume to improve your employability.

5. Data engineering

Paving the way for data analytics is data engineering. Think of big data as a library. Just as you need a systematic approach to categorising and sorting titles so it’s easy for people to find what they’re looking for, data engineers construct the infrastructure for data storage; automate the data extraction; and ensure all your simplified data gets loaded into a central database for the data analysts to work their magic.

Expect to dip your toes into the world of coding, cloud computing and tools and systems such as Java, Spark, ETL,Scala and more. It also helps that data engineering is a highly revered skill in any organisation that’s highly paid, so adding it to your list of skills certainly helps make you an asset to any company.

6. Data visualisation

A simple example of data visualisation
Image credit: Mustsharenews

It’s one thing to collect tons of data, but it’s another thing to be able to package it all up in a manner that’s easy for others to digest. That’s why data visualisation is a valuable tech skill that lets you put your creative juices to good use. 

Essentially, it involves creating visuals such as charts and graphs out of the copious amounts of data. This means that your stakeholders – like your boss, other teams in your company, or even the public – can easily analyse the data without having to sift through spreadsheets filled with confusing numbers. Think of it as a work of art with the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” 

Learn beginner-friendly data analytics skills with Smartcademy

In this digital age, it’ll help a ton to load up on tech skills if you want to be a valuable candidate for employers. Nonetheless, you can begin by delving into the world of data analytics. 

Whether you’re a student looking for an area of specialisation, or someone who’s mid-career looking to upskill, Smartcademy has a beginner-friendly Data Analytics Course. You can enrol now for their 6th November 2021 intake and December 2021 Bootcamp to get a headstart for this in-demand tech skill. 

Each class is three hours long, and will comprise eight live webinars, so you can learn in the comfort of your own home. Don’t worry about being the odd man out as this course is beginner-friendly – so you’ll be able to catch on even without a data analysis background.

You’ll learn how to master essential data analytics tools, including programming languages such as Python and SQL. Data visualisation is also a skill you’ll pick up as you’ll be working with industry software such as Tableau. 

The course is also IBF Accredited and IBF funding support of up to 90% is available for eligible Singaporeans and PRs. 

With the IBF funding support you’ll have to pay $620.60, inclusive of GST. Singaporeans aged 25 and above can also use their SkillsFuture Credit to offset this remaining amount. Meanwhile, the IBF-subsidised fee for eligible company-sponsored candidates will be $986 nett. 

One-on-one consultations will also be available during and after the course, so you’ll be in good hands with industry experts.

Find out more about Smartcademy’s data analytics course here 

This post was brought to you by Smartcademy.
Cover image adapted from: Fiverr, MSnews