Top 10 High Demand Skills in 2021 [Most-In-Demand]

Gone are the days when you needed a college degree to get a job in a reputed firm like Goole, Tesla, Apple, etc. There are many companies in the 21st century that value your skill over a college degree. 

Did you know?

40% of Google employees don’t have a degree. 

But that doesn’t mean every drop out of college will be the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. 

You must acquire skills to get success in your career or business.

Here in this post, we will highlight the top 10 high-demand skills in 2021.

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1. Cyber Security

This pandemic has changed the way we work. Most of us were not familiar with “Work From Home” but nowadays the trends have changed. Most businesses have full-time employees working from home. This new normal has led to more cyber attacks and crimes. So companies are looking for people who are cybersecurity experts. 

2. Social Media Marketing 

Many big brands and small local businesses want to actively engage their consumers on social media platforms. We have seen ads while scrolling through our Instagram feed of clothes, watches, local restaurants, etc. If you bring customers to a business through social media platforms, business owners are willing to pay you. This skill requires soft skills like creativity, marketing skills, and creating content that engages users. Many social media influencers are generating regular income by just sponsoring products and doing paid promotions. 

Due to the penetration of the internet in our day-to-day life, large e-commerce brands are running campaigns of millions of dollars on social media and there is a huge demand for expert social media marketers. 

3. UI or UX Designer

LinkedIn had ranked UX design as one of the top marketing skills in 2021. Nowadays businesses are becoming more aware that creating a good user experience will help increase their revenue. 

Even Google is changing its algorithm and showing search results enhances user experience. In July 2021 google rolled out its new page experience update as a ranking factor.  

So, there is great scope in making a career or starting a business in this field. 

4. Cloud Computing 

Cloud Computing is delivering on-demand computing services or resources like servers, storage, databases, networking, and software. Example – Google drive is a cloud-based storage solution that allows users to store files online. Cloud-based services are more secure, easily accessible, and reduce the cost of physical hardware. 

According to a report published in Economic Times, India will see over one million cloud computing jobs by 2022. 

5. Programming Language Skills

Every business needs a website, landing pages, or apps. Coding is important for both the front-end and back-end development of websites and apps. Even for testing or debugging you need to know to code. Nowadays many IT jobs require a strong knowledge of coding. Numerous courses on the internet will help acquire this skill. Here is the list of the top 10 high demand coding skills in 2021

• Python 
• Java
• Kotlin
• Swift
• C++ and C
•  C#
• PHP
• Go
• Matlab
• R.

6. Data Analyst

A data analyst collects, cleans, studies, and interprets the data for problem-solving. Data scientist professionals can work in various industries such as business, finance, medical, and government. According to Coursera, the average base salary of a data analyst is around 70,000 USD and the demand is expected to grow 18% each year. As a data analyst, you should have knowledge of MS Excel, SQL, Python or R, data visualization, statistics, and maths. 

7. Machine learning/ Artificial Intelligence

AI is the branch of computer science that aims to create intelligent machines that react like human beings. It is also known as machine intelligence. AI is the future and has replaced many human jobs. AI can enhance a particular process and sometimes replaces the whole system providing end-to-end decision-making based on algorithms and data. The world has seen growing demand for AI and in the future, there will be high demand for machine learning or AI professionals. 

8. Search Engine Optimization 

SEO is a high-demand skill in 2021 and upcoming years. Due to the pandemic, more users are searching online for products or services. The role of an SEO expert is to optimize your website according to search engines and rank them higher in search results. Along with higher rankings and traffic, it is also the role of an SEO expert to create a good user experience on your website. Businesses are investing huge amounts of money in online reputation management and SEO plays an important role in branding as well as attracting new customers to your website. SEO is a long-term marketing strategy but it also has long-term benefits. 

9. Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality 

Virtual reality is already adopted in various industries such as gaming, health, or advertisement. According to a report published in BusinessWire, this industry will grow at a CAGR of 28% per year during the years 2021-2026. 

Virtual reality is a device that is mounted on the head of a person giving them a sense of fake reality. This technology is widely used in video gaming, athlete training, military, automobiles, etc.  So there is a lot of scopes if you want to make a career in virtual reality. 

10. Blockchain

Blockchain has been most popular among the tech trends for the last couple of years. Blockchains act as decentralized systems for recording and documenting transactions that take place involving a particular digital currency. This is the definition from Investopedia. An example of a blockchain is Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. 

Blockchain is already used in supply chain management, identity management, international contracts, etc. 

According to LinkedIn, blockchain was one of the most demanding skills in 2021. Many tech giants like IBM, startups, banks, government agencies are hiring blockchain developers.