The Needed Skills
A first-year Computer Science student wrote to me: “Since technology changes fast, what Skills do I need to do well in the next five or ten years? Are there any skills that do not change? Please advise.”
Answer: I believe over the next decade or even more, technologies will impact many things in every country and every business. For all students, regardless of what they study, they need to know how to use electronic devices (Laptop, smartphone, etc.) to access the Internet and know at least one foreign language (Prefer English, as it is still the most popular language to be used in many places).
For Computer Science and Software Engineering students, you need to have a strong Programming language skill (I.e., Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, etc.) as a foundation and develop knowledge and skills in Machine learning, Data Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Image Processing, Cloud Computing, etc. because many future applications will be based on these. If your school does not teach them, you should learn from MOOCs, Tutorial websites etc.
Besides these Technical skills, you also need soft-skills such as Collaboration, Communication, Presentation, Teamwork, Leadership etc. and the most important skill: Lifelong learning. These are the skills that do not change and never change.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
