In the tech industry, as in life, change is the only constant.
Whether you’re just starting out, you’re angling for a better gig, or you’re just trying to thrive right where you are, it’s important that you’re up-to-date with the latest technologies — or else you may already be behind the curve, as the hot new tech du jour replaces the old and busted.
“We see technologies being replaced by new technologies,” says Julia Silge, a data scientist with Stack Overflow, the online hangout where programmers go to ask each other questions and find new careers.
On Thursday, Stack Overflow is releasing its ranking of the technologies for which demand by employers grew the fastest between 2015 and 2016, as told by the job postings on the Stack Overflow Careers site. The report also includes a few technologies that shrunk over the same period.
If you’re trying to stay fresh and hone the right programming skills, these are the technologies to focus on:
Here’s the chart showing the overall trends from the last year. You may notice one big theme: Demand for cloud computing skills is growing mightily. Stack Overflow’s Julia Silge says it’s a reflection of the increased complexity of the modern IT department.