Five Key Skills That Are In Demand In The European Markets The skills in most demand across the European markets are a combination of sector-specific hard skills, as well as soft skills that are indicative of an individual's ability to grow as well-rounded professionals and leaders

The European job market has seen a significant boost in the previous quarters of 2018, as the number of vacancies across the European Union grew steadily throughout the year to reach a high point. At present – and probably in greater degrees as compared to the last decade or so – the European market is seeing increasing levels of competitiveness and innovation, driven by the intensifying role of information technology in the global business landscape. The level of connectivity and intelligence that these technologies bring for businesses in their interactions with various stakeholders is only increasing, irrespective of their size or scale. So is the demand for the right talent that's capable of working with these technologies.

The skills in most demand across the European markets are a combination of sector-specific hard skills, as well as soft skills that are indicative of an individual's ability to grow as well-rounded professionals and leaders. In order to understand the scale of demand with respect to jobs, let us take a look at the key skills that are in demand in the European markets:

Hard skills:

1. Advanced Information Communication Technology Skills

• Coding

One of the most important and in-demand IT-centric skills on a global level includes coding and the knowledge of programming languages, both popular and emerging ones. Coding knowledge is essential to the creation of enterprise IT systems, front-end and back-end applications that allow businesses to digitize their business processes and interactions with customers.

• Statistical Analysis and Data Mining

It is critical for data analysts to have a strong knowledge of data science, statistical models and analysis, and analytical technologies, along with understanding the relevance of data with respect to an organization's business objectives. In the western economies, a large number of industries and organizations are being digitized with the aim to leverage the surge in data towards business growth using smart technologies, automation and software. The present age of data-driven business processes, therefore, will see an exponential rise in the demand for data analysts, especially in the next decade.

• Network and Information Security

The demand for network and information security experts in the European market will continue to see a rapid rise due to two major factors. One is the growing number of malicious threats and cyber-attacks threatening enterprise security for organizations of all sizes, while the other is the implementation of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which companies need to comply with. The skills shortage in the market is presently a huge challenge for many European businesses. However, as the cyber security job market is largely candidate-driven, professionals with the right qualifications and skills have a huge advantage with access to significant opportunities for career development.

2. Technical Skills

• Python

Python is a general purpose programming language which enables greater productivity for developers and is used widely to build desktop, web, and mobile apps that can mine data. Its demand is further amplified by the efficiency it brings to enterprise applications by allowing businesses to integrate the cognitive capabilities of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning.

• Machine Learning

Companies of all sizes are investing in Machine Learning to leverage the benefits of intuitive and self-learning tools like deep learning and neural networks to make business processes smarter as well as to create smart products for customers. For this, businesses increasingly need professionals skilled in working with the technology to help achieve specific business outcomes. A significant advantage for candidates is that there are no entry barriers to becoming a machine learning professional since anyone can get a certification which does not necessitate having coding or engineering skills.

• DevOps

The demand for DevOps engineers is increasing rapidly as organizations have seen substantial returns in the long term. DevOps engineers are capable of positioning code 30 times faster, while the rate of success of code deployment is doubled, thus giving enterprises a significant competitive edge.

• Java

Java continues to be a popular programming language across the globe and its versatility makes it a sought-after choice for organizations for both front-end as well as back-end development projects.

• Mobile Development

Mobile app sales are expected to reach $99 billion in 2019, according to Juniper Research. With demand for mobile developers surpassing that for web developers, this will continue to be a highly lucrative avenue for professionals in the future.

Soft Skills:

Problem-Solving Skills: Problem-solving is an essential skill for professionals at any level within an organization. The ability to optimize regular business processes as well as navigate complex situations is required from professionals, besides the hard skills pertaining to their functional roles.

Communication Skills: Effective communication is a critical skill for any professional who takes up any role within an enterprise, to communicate efficiently with various teams and carry out business functions smoothly.

Leadership: Leadership is increasingly becoming a highly sought after quality in younger professionals as well today, especially for those businesses that have a lean organizational culture and that want leaders to both manage teams and guide business processes, as well as provide subject matter expertise.