SA companies have been looking for these job skills
These skills may be the most in demand, but with the job market, nothing is ever set in stone...
It stands to reason that those entering the job market are filled with excitement and vigour, aiming to get a job in their field of study. Sadly, that excitement slowly depletes for many who are left with a harsh reality and a volatile job market.
While education and experience play a significant role in the job search, we also know that neither guarantees job placement worthy of one's expertise.
The Pnet Job Market trends report revealed the top professional skills in demand at many South African companies. These may not pave the path for people without these job skills, but they at least provide a clear line of sight regarding the most in-demand skills.
"Managerial staff at a department level are in high demand, specifically for roles like finance managers, sales managers, operations managers, business development and HR managers, who are highly sought after," reports Business Tech.
Software developers rank second despite the decrease noticed in the IT job advertisements. Interestingly, recruiters noted that they most often search for software engineers, but the professionals with these skills are hard to come by.
"IT professionals also draw some of the highest salaries, with Pnet highlighting salary ranges for data engineers between R42,900 and R59,100 per month, and Java Developers at R42,900 and R56,600 per month," according to Business Tech.
The rankings list has experienced a few changes over the past three years, but the one worth mentioning is the rise of bookkeepers. HR professionals have dropped off the top ten rankings.
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Although the rankings list provides several skills that still show strong demand, the job market is anything but calm and easygoing.
Some industries have seen positive trends, such as design, media and arts which saw a 78% increase in hiring activity from last year, and sales and marketing which saw a continued growth of 41% and 6% and 44% and 7% on a year/year and month/month basis, respectively.
With such a wealth of information, do you think these trends would motivate you to pursue a different career path or enhance your current skillset?
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