InsideTech

I think these skills have nothing to do with hiring potential, and everything to do with baseline expectations of ANY IT professional. It doesn't matter if you write HTML, pull cables in a data center or answer support calls... all IT workers should have a basic set of foundational skills because that is what people expect.

As to this specific list of skills, I think it is not so great. I have seen better versions of this same article (by different authors), but unfortunately I don't have any bookmarks handy. Here is something that I wrote on the topic elsewhere on this site:

"'If you have anything at all to do with IT, you will have to be versed in a wide variety of technical topics. Not everyone is, and they pay for it in one way or another. That's just the way it is. You should know how to troubleshoot a PC and fix basic hardware problems; how to print to that printer over there or share out this one right here; some network basics like what are subnets, firewalls, DMZs and proxy servers; a little about the common TCP protocols like http, smtp, ftp, etc; a little bit about encryption and security; the difference between a SCSI and a SATA drive and why you would choose one over the other, between a CPU core and a socket as it relates to getting server specs from a software vendor, between a cookie and a header, between SAN and NAS, and so on. Your future managers and colleagues will expect this."

Notice that I intentionally left languages off of my list. It's cool to know shell scripting, and be able to recognize malformed XML, but nobody really expects it. Now fixing the screen resolution on a PC though, well hey, I thought you said you work with computers!

I would add a couple. SQL is really big of course it is part of many databases. Java I think is a good place to start. XML is another one. If you are heading for programming C++ or C#.

cool!!! those skills are awesome,,, I'll apply it to my profession as a student for now,,, I'm a Junior student of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at ICCT Colleges, Cainta, Rizal, Philippines... Thanks to all my professors who help me improved my talent and knowledge about my field and I'm preparing my self to the real world... ^_^

Graydoll, good point please don't waste money on books for HTML or XHTML CSS any of it there really are plenty of tutorials that one could utilize, and with practice it is something very easy to pick up. martin1 has listed the site to the creators of the language anyway.

Given the heading this is under, "Launching a Tech Career," I would say it is appropriate. It is not aimed at us veterans, it is aimed at those who may be interested in starting out in this field. I have told my five sons that they should only enter this field for passion's sake, that I would rather see them become musicians, actors, etc. because the pay will be the same. Passion is the only thing that will keep them in the profession. I have also told my sons that if they want earning potential they should focus on law or a medical degree.

I would hope that, were we auto workers in the 1970's, we would not be encouraging our children to take assembly line jobs. The writing is on the wall. Look at the eight essential skills again. Did any of them require more than a G.E.D.? PowerPoint? Creating a web page? Hooking up WiFi? My fourth grader would qualify if I turned off the parental controls...

HTML? Are you kidding me? Please tell me you're kidding.

To any newb reading this, please read HTML as CSS and CMS (that being any one of the million content management systems), PHP, MySQL, etc etc. Do not go and buy anything about HTML, if it's even possible these days, which I think it isn't.

As for books, Arcul, you might want to get a trial copy of Safari books online. A simple search of any of these topics will reveal the hundreds of books written on these topics:
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/login

I'd like to add to this list: OSes. Learn about how operating systems work in general.
What's hot: ITIL.

But without our Congress taking action against the tax breaks that companies get from outsourcing, the number one skill you need is how to manage your money after a lay-off. Oops. I mean after the company adjusts staff to meet budgetary demands. (Real or imagined.)

Outsourced and director59 have the right of it.

As a management grad seeking the basic skills that necessarily may be acquired in technolgy, I find this article particularly beneficial. Hence, thanks.

I have a degree and 28 years of IT experience at a major company, all the skills listed in the article and far more. Mainframe Tape Librarian, Computer Operator, Production Controller (submit and fix abended JCL) when the mainframe world dried up, I self taught myself PC tech support then moved up to senior PC tech when much of it was automated to offshore, I transitioned to Project Mangement (small and medium IT projects), that went to offshored too, on to IT Purchasing with my "well rounded skillset\experience" I moved on to IT Busniess Services Analyst a few years later I could no longer dodge the outsourcing bullets - was laid off. Most of the IT jobs are offshored or "gigs" with temp agencies where they toss you way like a rag doll once the project is over.