There are “classic” roles, such as programmers and systems engineers, and new figures, such as Big Data specialists or artificial intelligence experts. The world of Information Technology is becoming an increasingly varied and complex universe: the numerous and specialized profiles required by new technologies are adding to the consolidated professional skills.For both young people starting their careers now and those who have been working for a long time it is important to know the differences between the different professions in information technology and the trends that will require the acquisition of new skills.

The IT professions most requested by companies

The IT job market is in good health: the 2017 Digital Skills Observatory found that the demand for professionals in this sector is growing by 26% per year . The great majority of the ads still concern “traditional” IT figures. These are the five most requested roles:

Analyst Programmer

It is still the most sought-after profile by IT companies , according to the Observatory: between 2014 and 2016, 80,000 ads for programming analysts were posted on the web. This role combines two skills, analysis and programming. The programmer analyst first analyzes the problem to be solved and defines the specifications of the software to be created; based on the analysis document, it develops (or has other programmers develop) the software, using the necessary programming languages.

Functional analyst

He is the professional who analyzes the needs of a company in a specific area and translates them into functionalities that will then be developed by programmers or by the analyst himself. This is the case, for example, of the SAP functional analyst , a figure highly sought after by companies because he uses one of the most widespread software platforms for the accounting, administrative and management activities of organizations. He is an expert in SAP and in the areas he deals with (for example accounting) and his job consists in knowing how to modify the system to adapt it in the most effective way to specific business needs.

System Engineer

Manages computer systems , from computers, to networks, to servers: he must therefore have a thorough knowledge of the hardware and software necessary for their operation. The systems engineer can deal with the design of systems ( system or information architect ) or only with their management ( system administrator ).

IT consultant

This profile is growing strongly: from the Observatory data, in recent years the request for IT Consultants has increased by 84%. The reason relates to the versatility of this figure, which is generally used by IT companies in various industrial fields. The IT consultant must therefore have solid technical and analytical skills, but also considerable interpersonal skills, to work in always different teams.

Web developer

He is the technician who develops applications for the web. The scope is very vast and ranges from web content management, to e-commerce, to user experience, to social networks. The web developer plays a fundamental role in the digital communication of companies and is therefore increasingly requested by companies.

The new professions in information technology: big data, cloud, cyber security, AI

In the IT world, the jobs of the future are already here. A recent report by ZDNet and TechRepublic, two well-known information sites on the IT sector, reiterates that artificial intelligence, big data, cloud technology and automation are already having a strong impact on the search for IT personnel.
Here are the new roles that are already interesting for companies and that will become even more so in the coming years.

Data scientist

Big data is the large amount of data relating to an organization: a mine of information, constantly growing, from which business models and strategies can be derived. Among the most sought after figures is the data scientist, who designs and builds the infrastructure to manage, analyze and interpret data. His skills range from software engineering to statistics and economics.

Cloud architect

Cloud technology (cloud) has long made it possible to store and transmit data over the Internet. The cloud architect will be increasingly needed to build and manage cloud systems based on the needs of companies, paying particular attention to information protection and security.

Cyber ​​security expert

Defines the strategies and control plans to ensure the security of IT systems and the prevention of risks and threats. It is a role destined to become a key figure for companies and requires continuous and constant updating on technologies and security policies.

IoT engineer

The Internet of Things (IoT) definition refers to objects that, by connecting to the Internet, can access information and connect with other devices. The role of the IoT engineer is to design and implement new “intelligent” products.

These new professions will increasingly require an articulated set of skills. Finally, they will be a mixture of technological, managerial and soft skills such as leadership, emotional intelligence, creative thinking and change management.