The IT industry has been experiencing unprecedented growth over the last decade, with it becoming one of the most in-demand industries globally. This is especially apparent in up-and-coming developing countries, where the IT industry is flourishing and becoming a significant contributor to economies worldwide.

With this rise in demand for IT, many young people and already established professionals have locked to the industry, leading to a surge of highly skilled IT workers. As more join the workforce, the demanded skill and qualifications rise. It has been noticed, despite being highly qualified, that many of these professionals are lacking the necessary business and soft skills for succeeding and thriving in the current competitive job market.

Regardless of whether an individual is just starting out in IT, or have already built and established a career in the field, developing and maintaining business skills is crucial.

Having a good grasp on business basics is something everyone should be acquainted with, regardless of job position. The reason being that it allows the individual to better understand the daily operations of a company, whether that is a small startup or a large corporation. Skills like strategic thinking and financial literacy cannot be overlooked, as they can provide useful insights and aid in smarter decision making.

Another set of skills often overlooked in IT are the people related skills. Working in IT isn’t just screens and code, people are still at the heart of it, and an IT professional must have the necessary skills and knowledge in order to deal with them appropriately. Knowing how to lead and motivate a team is key, as without good management and leadership skills productivity will suffer and could possibly lead to confusion and a lack of direction. These people skills don’t just apply internally to coworkers and team leaders, but also outward towards their consumer base. Knowing what the client wants is crucial and for this goal good communication skills are essential.

To conclude, the IT industry has seen a massive growth in the past decade and has become a major contributor to economies worldwide. Thanks to its growth, many individuals have flocked to IT firms and startups and we have noticed a rise in highly qualified IT individuals. Due to this shift, there has been an apparent rise in demanded skills and qualifications for IT professionals, and many have been noted to lack essential business and soft skills. Regardless of where an individual is at in their career, choosing to develop these skills is crucial, as it aids towards remaining competitive in an evolving market.

For this exact reason, the M6 Educational Centre developed a course TechBiz Edge: Empowering IT Professionals with Business Acumen” which enables IT professionals to strengthen their business skills through two main modules “Business fundamentals” and “Leading teams and Effective communication”. Topics like strategic thinking, financial literacy, leadership skills and management skills, as well as marketing and pricing will be part of the course curriculum. The complete course program is available here.