Wanted: 10 IT skills employers need today

Technology pros looking to find new work or secure their current jobs should get schooled on wireless, Web 2.0 and virtualization while also boning up on business basics. 

"IT professionals with the right technical skill set plus a foundational understanding of the business they work in will stand a much better chance in today’s market," says Neill Hopkins, vice president of skills development at the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Business initiatives such as enterprise mobility, data center consolidation and unified communications are driving demand for expertise in new technology areas and reinforcing the importance of mastering the fundamentals such as networking and security, industry watchers say.

Read about the IT skills that are no longer in demand here. 

Click to see: Chart of talent trends

"Web 2.0, .Net, Java, wireless -- skills in technologies that enable end users to engage and communicate with each other -- are hot," says Rich Milgram, CEO of online job portal Beyond.com. "At the same time network and security skills are becoming more and more important, especially as companies expose more and more of their networks and data to the world."

Here we examine (in no particular order) the current most-sought-after skills and those destined to be in demand going forward.

1. Wireless

Because end users expect to be able to work from anywhere anytime, skills in wireless and mobility are being pushed to the top of many hiring managers’ must-have lists.

"Now you need to be able to plan and troubleshoot radio interference and access point placement. Everyone wants to work from anywhere," says Bruce Meyer, director of network services at ProMedica Healthcare in Toledo, Ohio. "Standards will continue to evolve rapidly as everyone chases the Holy Grail of a wirelike experience. I’m not just looking for wireless skills; I’m looking for the ability to rapidly learn new things."

According to CompTIA, wireless skills in many areas -- 802.11, WiMAX  and broadband -- will only become more appealing to companies in the next five years.

John Estes, vice president of strategic alliances at Robert Half Technology, adds that mobility goes beyond knowing wireless technologies. It also requires knowing about each device end users might start using to tap the network. "End users have mini multimedia computers in their hands now. Someone is going to have to be involved in decisions around which devices best suit the environment and application needs," Estes says.

2. Virtualization

No longer just a tool for systems administrators to tinker with in testing environments, virtualization technology is the main component behind data center consolidation and disaster recovery initiatives.

"Virtualization is a hot technology area, which means managers are looking for people with some savvy there," says Steve Clifford, field recruiting director at staffing agency TAC Worldwide. "Many companies have a lot of redundant servers, and they are trying to maximize resources and utilization on every server on every site."