Networking
Cyber-Security Top IT Skill for 2017
Many IT pros plan to advance their cyber-security skills via certifications or training as well as improve their networking and virtualization skills, a new survey concludes.
Job Seeker Market
68% of IT pros said the IT job market will likely remain favorable in 2017.
Moving On
37% of IT pros plan to begin searching for a new employer, and 26% plan to accept a new job in 2017.
Switching Jobs
The biggest reason IT pros plan to switch jobs is to advance their IT skills (69%). Other reasons include looking for a more competitive salary (64%), working for companies that makes IT more of a priority (40%) and being burned out at their current jobs (40%).
Job Satisfaction
61% of IT pros feel appreciated by their current employers, yet 59% believe they’re underpaid.
Status Quo on Salaries and Promotion
Only 25% of IT pros expect a salary increase in excess of 5 percent in 2017 and only 12% expect a promotion.
Top Skills
95% of IT pros said cyber-security expertise, soft skills and computer networking expertise will be important skills in 2017.
Training Targets
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of IT pros plan to focus on improving their cyber-security expertise via certifications or training, followed by working on networking (56%) and virtualization skills (45%). Only 29% plan to work on soft skills.
Core Expertise
IT pros believe computer networking (95%), virtualization (92%) and cloud architecture skills (72%) will help them get ahead at work in 2017.
Top Challenges
More than half (55%) of IT pros said getting management to understand the importance of IT priorities will be their biggest challenge. Other obstacles include getting business leaders to approve/fund important IT projects (53%) and ensuring corporate data is secure (53%).