These Five Tech Skills Will Never Go Out of Style

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Technology •


It is important to stay on top of technology trends when trying to advance your career or stay relevant in the tech field. Tech skills change as new programs and platforms are developed, but there are several skills that will never go out of style. Make sure your skills are up-to-date by staying on top of the trends that are here to stay.

1. Mainframes

Mainframes are platforms that still dominate industries such as financial services, manufacturing, logistics, retail and banking. This economical system is one of the fastest and best suited for big data. Keep your knowledge of mainframes on top of your list of must-have tech skills.

2. C

C has been around since the 1960s, but the programming language has maintained its status with the addition of languages such as Python, Perl, PHP and Java, which all pull basic features from C. Show that you are proficient in this widely used language in system programming by brushing up your tech skills and knowledge of C.

3. COBOL

Industries seeking solutions for large data, batch processing and customer-facing applications still rely on COBOL-based systems. Employment with government agencies, large corporations and entities that process large numbers of transactions simultaneously relies on your knowledge of COBOL.

4. Java

Java may be more than 20 years old, but learning these tech skills is still a necessity. Java has withstood the test of time and is still one of the most used programming languages because it allows developers to write just once and run the applications anywhere without remaining specific to certain platforms. Java is also one of the most popular programming languages used in building Web applications for client-server purposes.

5. Fortran

Fortran, a mainframe assembly language created by IBM, may have originated in the 1950s, but its relevance is still going strong as the next revision is expected to launch in 2016. Dubbed as the "mother tongue of scientific computing," Fortran is widely used in computational physics, high-performing computing, fluid dynamics and weather forecasting. Launch a history lesson and familiarize yourself with this legacy software that is still up and coming to keep your tech skills on target.

Knowledge of applications, software, programming language and mainframes is crucial to succeed in the technology industry. It is also important to work on your verbal communication skills to ensure you are decoding and encoding the right data.

It may be time consuming and challenging to stay on top of the latest technology trends, but in doing so, you are securing your future as a networking professional. Hone your tech skills and seek out training and resources to familiarize yourself with up and coming programs, platforms and languages in addition to gaining proficiency in older technology that is still relevant.


Photo Courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Troy thanks for your comment. The old languages really are not dying. Many companies still utilize these and will continue to use them in the future. Many jobs are available with these languages. So many companies do not want to use the cloud - especially with all of the hacking that has been going on. They feel safer using their own servers and equipment - staying away from the cloud where they can determine their own security. Maybe these languages will die off as time goes by but I don't see it happening - at least not in the next ten years or so.

  • Troy J.
    Troy J. •

    The older languages are not relevant anymore especially with the growth of the cloud. Nancy get for real! Bad article.

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