10 skills developers will need in the next five years

1 April, 2009, Justin James, TechRepublic

So what are the skills that developers should have in their tool chest?

• Know at least one of the "Big Three" - .NET, Java or PHP.
• Be a RIA Pro - this will be a resume differentiator.
• Web Development is a must - you have to know JavaScript, CSS and HTML
• Web Services will put you on cutting edge projects - get used to REST, SOAP, JSON, and XML.
• Work on your people skills - developers who can manage teams and work with other department leads are highly sought after.
• Be Dynamic - know at least one functional programming language such as Rails, Python, LINQ.
• Be Agile - many shops are experimenting with and adopting Agile. Look for increasing demand of this environment in the coming years.
• Be a master of your Domain - understanding the problem domain contributes to projects in highly visible ways, and makes you indispensible.
• Be Hygienic - Don't be a "Code Cowboy" learn to use programs such as VSTS to properly coordinate with your team.
• Be Mobile - Mobile development will be increasingly important. Designing mobile device web applications, and Mobile RIAs are a couple of examples.