There are many skills you need to acquire to succeed as an IT engineer. In addition to technical skills such as programming skills and network knowledge, soft skills such as consulting and management skills are also important. To acquire IT skills, you need to take an inventory of your skills and determine which skills you need. In this article, we will explain specific examples of ITSS certification, the skills you want to improve as an IT engineer, and the specific steps to acquire those skills.
table of contents
- 1IT engineers cannot survive on technical skills alone.
- 2Skills you want to improve as an IT engineer (technical)
- 1programming language
- 2Network knowledge/skills
- 3Security-related knowledge/skills
- FourCloud knowledge/skills
- 3Skills you want to improve as an IT engineer (software)
- 1Consulting power
- 2Management ability
- 3negotiation power
- FourLatest IT knowledge
- What is ITSS?
- FiveSpecific examples of ITSS certifications
- 1IT passport exam
- 2Basic information engineer examination
- 3Applied information engineer examination
- 6Specific steps to acquire IT skills
- 1Take inventory of your current skills
- 2Clarify what you want to achieve and the skills you need
- 3Learn in a way that suits the skills you want to acquire
- 7summary
IT engineers cannot survive on technical skills alone.
Many people think of programming knowledge and networking knowledge as skills they need to acquire when they want to work as an IT engineer. Of course, technical skills are essential to working in the field as an IT engineer, but the reality is that it is difficult to survive for a long time with technical skills alone.
In fact, among the results of the “Awareness Survey on Future Required Skills and the Future of Their Work” conducted for engineers in 2019 by VSN, which provides engineer human resource services, it was found that “In the future, engineers will When asked, “Do you think you can survive on skills alone?”, 55.9% of people answered “You won’t survive.” (*)
This percentage tends to increase as the number of years of experience as an engineer increases, and in particular, among those with 26 to 30 years of experience, 61.3% answered that they could not survive with technology alone and that they also needed skills other than technical ability. It seems like they feel wanted. Therefore, to be successful as an IT engineer, it is important to improve not only the technical field but also other areas.
Skills you want to improve as an IT engineer (technical)
There are two main types of skills that you want to improve as an IT engineer: technical and soft skills. According to a survey published by the research team at CompTIA’s U.S. headquarters, a total of 22 skills have been introduced as “IT skills needed in 2022,” including programming languages, user experience, and cloud computing. (*)
Therefore, out of the 22 skills, we will introduce four that are particularly needed from a technical perspective
programming language
To be successful as a system engineer or programmer, learning a programming language is essential. People who are about to learn a new language must acquire the programming language needed in the workplace where they want to work.
In addition, if you already have work experience as a system engineer or programmer and are considering a career change, you may consider learning a new language other than the one you have already mastered, or further mastering the language you are good at.
Network knowledge/skills
Nowadays, business operations using the Internet have become commonplace, and cloud computing has become widespread. An increasing number of workplaces are finding it difficult to continue operations without a well-developed network. Given this current situation, it is desirable for not only network engineers but also system engineers and programmers to acquire network knowledge and skills.
If you master your network knowledge and skills, you can expect to work as an infrastructure engineer, including a network engineer.
Security-related knowledge/skills
As the threat of cyber attacks continues to increase, they are causing a variety of damage worldwide, regardless of industry or type of business. Therefore, security-related knowledge and skills will be required to safely proceed with development while protecting the company’s important information and assets.
To ensure thorough security measures, a wide range of knowledge is required, including network knowledge to block unauthorized access from outside and server operation to strengthen security.
You are required to have a wide range of knowledge about networks, servers, cloud, etc.
Cloud knowledge/skills
As work style reform and DX are promoted, the use of the cloud is expanding among companies and organizations, helped by the spread of remote work. In line with this trend, opportunities to develop and operate cloud applications are increasing, and at the same time, there are also increasing situations in which IT engineers are required to have cloud knowledge and skills.
Particularly in recent years, jobs such as cloud engineering have appeared, and those who want to work mainly in cloud development need to master their knowledge and skills.
Skills you want to improve as an IT engineer (software)
The technical skills introduced above are essential for IT engineers to develop software and infrastructure. On the other hand, it is also important to have the following soft skills to proceed with smooth development in the field.
Consulting power
To resolve a customer’s issues, it is necessary to discover the issue through interviews, create a concrete path to a solution, gain the customer’s understanding, and proceed with development. IT engineers with strong consulting skills can make the best proposals for customers from among their company’s technologies and services and efficiently solve problems.
Against this background, it is considered important for IT engineers to improve their consulting skills to provide more useful proposals to customers.
Management ability
In technical positions such as system engineers, it is necessary to supervise projects and perform management tasks such as adjusting schedules, checking development status, and managing budgets. Therefore, it is necessary to hone not only skills such as program development but also management skills.
If you have strong management skills, you will be able to communicate frequently with team members to ensure that projects progress smoothly and deliver high-quality products to customers without causing delivery delays or budget overruns.
negotiation power
IT engineers not only develop software and infrastructure but also negotiate directly with customers and adjust the order amount for the project. Therefore, negotiating skills are required to calculate development man-hours and finely adjust various conditions during development.
To accurately estimate the man-hours required for the software and infrastructure that your company plans to develop, adjust it to the customer’s budget, and maximize profits, you need to acquire estimation skills and communication skills with customers. you need to put it on.
Latest IT knowledge
IT technology is constantly evolving, so it is important to stay tuned to the latest information and keep learning. It is important to hone the latest IT knowledge and skills every day and continue to actively collect information.
If we develop systems and services without being aware of changing trends, we may end up releasing services that are already obsolete in the market, leading to customers getting tired of them quickly and our competitiveness with competitors decreasing. Please be careful as there is a risk of
What is ITSS?
An index called “ITSS” is often used to measure the skill level of IT engineers. ITSS is a skill system created by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to evaluate the skill level of IT human resources, and is sometimes called the “IT Skill Standard.”
To educate and train IT personnel, ITSS can be used to quantify the target’s current skills and clarify which areas need further development in the future. There are a total of 7 ITSS levels, and you can set the appropriate level according to your skills.
There are a variety of levels, from Level 1, which shows that you have acquired the minimum skills required for an IT engineer, to Level 7, which shows that you are a professional IT engineer who can be active in the world.
Specific examples of ITSS certifications
Specific examples of ITSS certifications include the IT Passport exam, the Basic Information Technology Engineer exam, and the Applied Information Technology Engineer exam. All of these
Here, we will explain in detail the three qualifications that belong to the ITSS certification.
IT passport exam
The IT Passport Exam is an exam for beginners who are acquiring IT knowledge and skills, such as those who are just starting to learn IT knowledge. By obtaining this certification, you can prove that you have basic IT knowledge.
It corresponds to “Level 1” in the IT skill standard mentioned above, so it is recommended for those who want to acquire the basics as an IT engineer.
The exam covers a wide range of basic IT questions from strategy, management, and technology fields, so it can also be used as an introduction to IT. Another advantage is that it is a CBT exam and there are many opportunities to take it.
The average pass rate for the exam is relatively high at around 50%, so even those who are new to IT can pass if they prepare well in advance.
Basic information Engineer examination
The Basic Information Technology Examination is a national qualification that ranks higher than the IT Passport Examination and is an examination that requires more practical knowledge as an IT engineer.
If you want to work seriously in the field as a system engineer or programmer, this is one of the qualifications you should have first. For those who already have basic IT knowledge, one option is to start taking the Basic Information Technology Engineer Exam rather than the IT Passport Exam.
It falls under “Level 2” in the IT skill standard, and can prove that you have the skills to carry out the tasks instructed by your superior supervisor without any problems. This is a recommended exam to demonstrate that you have the basic IT knowledge and skills to handle development work in the field.
Specific steps to acquire IT skills
As a concrete step to acquire IT skills, take an inventory of your current skills, determine the difference between your skills and the skills you are aiming for, and then consider how to efficiently acquire the areas in which you are lacking. You need to find a unique learning method.
Here are three steps to acquire IT skills.
Take inventory of your current skills
First, take an inventory of your current skills and identify the skills you have acquired. If you look back on the knowledge and skills you have acquired in the field, such as programming skills, network skills, and security knowledge, and find out what field you are good at, you will be able to identify the knowledge and skills you need to develop.
Additionally, if you have previous work experience, it may be helpful to look back on projects you have been involved in and listen to evaluations from others. Especially when it comes to evaluating soft skills such as consulting and negotiation skills, there are many situations where opinions from others can be helpful, something that you would not notice on your own.
Clarify what you want to achieve and the skills you need
Using the results of your skill inventory as a reference, you will be able to clarify what you want to become from now on. If you can clarify what kind of person you want to be in the future and what skills you lack to reach your ideal figure, you will be able to grasp the skills that you need to acquire from now on.
If you have never worked as an IT engineer before, an effective way to understand your strengths and weaknesses is through studying to obtain the ITSS certification mentioned above. If you are already working as an IT engineer and are considering changing to another profession, be sure to clarify what skills you need in addition to your own experience.
Learn in a way that suits the skills you want to acquire
Once you have identified the skills you need, you can proceed with your learning in a way that suits the skills you need to acquire. There are various ways to learn IT knowledge and skills, including books, online services, and programming schools, so it is important to choose the method that is suitable for you.
It is difficult to learn soft skills such as consulting skills from books, so you need to be creative, such as consciously improving your daily business conversations and receiving and incorporating advice from others. Don’t forget to keep up with the latest IT trends and absorb knowledge.
summary
Acquiring IT knowledge and skills is essential for success as an IT engineer. Clarify your current position by referring to indicators such as ITSS, and figure out which skills you need to acquire next. We also recommend obtaining ITSS certifications such as the IT Passport Examination, Basic Information Technology Engineer Examination, and Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination.
Technical ability is not the only skill you need to acquire as an IT engineer. Engineers who have acquired soft skills such as consulting and management skills are the ones who will be able to work as IT engineers for a long time in the future.
