Communications of the ACM
Your Technology Skills Have a Two Year Half-Life
Credit: Computer Conservation Society
Does working on a year-old version of a well known software package hurt your professional marketability?
The short answer is no, unless it is a major release that is being quickly and widely adopted. The longer answer is that a techie's skill set from a marketability perspective has a two year half-life. That is to say, that the exact set of skills you have today will only be half as marketable two years from now.
The reason your technical marketability degrades so quickly is because technology, like time, marches forward. Software companies continually update their applications. Hardware vendors upgrade their hardware and software control systems on an on-going basis. Also, technology oriented mega-trends like cloud computing and the proliferation of mobile devices are continually driving and transforming our industry.
That said, there are things that you can do to keep yourself current on technology.
From ITworld
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