Hard technical skills are hugely important in information technology; however, soft skills and business acumen are becoming essential to finding a job in this field. The world of IT is constantly evolving, requiring experts to constantly learn new systems and adapt to stay relevant. This traditionally means that IT professionals regularly update their technical skill sets by attending specialized training courses, learning new programming languages, and pursuing advanced degrees. However, experts are now noticing the market has started to place a greater emphasis on nontraditional skills, changing the way people think about the abilities of an IT professional. "The IT person is becoming less silo-focused," said Mike Matchett, senior analyst and consultant at the Taneja Group. "The theory is that IT folks will [have to] become more business-oriented and be able to focus more time on the application. They'll become more able to have a conversation with business folks."