51 Examples of Technical Skills

John Spacey, November 08, 2018 updated on January 01, 2019

Technical skills are talents, abilities and knowledge related to information technology. This includes skills related to the use, administration, development, design and architecture of technology. The following are common examples of technical skills.

Internet

Use of internet tools such as search, social media and software as a service tools.

Operating Systems

The ability to use and administer operating systems such as Linux.

Office Productivity

Basic tools for creating documents such as a word processor or spreadsheet application.

Applications

Applications are a category of software that are primarily designed to be used by people as a tool. For example, accounting software.

Systems

Systems include any software that is primarily designed to automate things such as a billing system that calculates bills for a telecom company.

Platforms

Platforms are environments for building and running systems and applications.

Databases

The use and administration of databases including traditional relational databases and highly scalable NoSQL databases.

Software Development

The ability to code to produce working software.

APIs

APIs are libraries of functionality used by software developers to create software.

Scripting

A lightweight type of software development using a scripting language. Often used to automate tasks or implement user interfaces.

Automation

Configuring, coding or scripting automated functions.

Communication Tools

Communication software such as video conferencing and messaging tools.

Networking

Networking is a class of technology that allows machines to connect and share data.

Information Security

Securing information and information technology from unauthorized access, modification, deletion or disruption.

Defensive Computing

User awareness of steps that can be taken to compute in a more secure way.

Data Security

The process of securing data in storage, transit and computation.

Data Integration

Data integration is the automation of data exchange.

Data Management

Data management is the practice of controlling data including elements such as data lineage, data custody and data stewardship.

Data Mining

A class of technology for processing large sets of data for the purposes of analysis and decision support.

Data Analysis

Processing data to produce information assets, solve problems and support decision making.

Analytics

Analytics is a class of easy to use tools that allow for the exploration of data.

Big Data

A class of technologies for processing large sets of data using cloud infrastructure. This can be used to support transactional systems, applications, analysis and knowledge discovery.

Cloud Computing

A class of technology that allows many physical machines to be used as a single resource. This is an extremely broad and diverse area of information technology that includes a variety of infrastructure, platform, system and application related skill sets.

Distributed Computing

A broad category of technologies for leveraging network resources to produce computing results. This includes prominent technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain and peer-to-peer.

System Analysis

The ability to solve business problems with technology. For example, evaluating and selecting software tools to meet a business requirement.

Architecture

The structural design of information systems. This has many variations and levels such as enterprise architecture, system architecture and solution architecture.

Design

The technical design of systems, applications, data and other elements such as integration.

Administration

The administration of operating systems, networks, systems, applications, platforms and other elements such as hardware.

Infrastructure

The planning, architecture, design, implementation and operations of IT infrastructure.

Hardware

The ability to configure, administer, build and fix hardware.

Troubleshooting

Resolving incidents and determining the root cause of problems.

System Integration

Getting systems and applications working together.

Workflow

Workflow is a class of tools for orchestrating processes that include both automation and human steps.

Consumer Technology

Technical skills related to consumer devices and software such as mobile phones and mobile apps.

Business Software

The ability to use, configure, administer and customize systems and applications commonly used by businesses.

Marketing Automation

Tools for automating marketing and customer service functions such as messaging to customers and digital advertising platforms.

Ecommerce

Platforms for conducting business using digital channels such as websites, apps and consumer devices.

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, implements the end-to-end sales process and often has other functionality in areas such as marketing, customer service and order fulfillment.

Salesforce Automation

Software that implements sales processes, reporting and productivity tools for salespeople.

Enterprise Resource Planning

Large software platforms that implement a wide range of standard business processes. The idea is to use a single unified system for everything as opposed to integrating a large number of diverse tools.

Content Management

Tools for creating, publishing and managing content and media.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is a class of tools for managing documents and implementing knowledge processes such as document approvals.

Media Tools

Tools for creating media such as games, videos, photos or audio.

Mobile App Development

Developing mobile applications. A type of software development.

User Interface Design

Designing and implementing user interfaces such as websites.

Internet of Things

The architecture, design, administration, configuration, customization, operation and use of infrastructure, machines, vehicles, equipment and consumer products that are internet connected.

Robotics

Skills related to robotics, a class of autonomous or semi-autonomous machine.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a class of software that learns and self-improves.

Game Development

The development of games this includes technical and creative skills and requires immersion in gaming culture.

AR & VR

Development of virtual environments and the mixture of real and virtual elements.

Legacy Technology

Old technology that is out of support. Technology often remains long after the skills to support it become scarce. As such, certain types of legacy technical skills can be valuable on the job market.

Overview: Technical Skills
Type	Information Technology
Definition	Talents, abilities and knowledge related to information technology.
Related Concepts	Information Technology » Internet » Software as a Service » Operating Systems » Office Productivity » Applications »