Employers in the U.S. will create a demand in this country for roughly 1.6 million IT workers this year, according to ITTA's recent study, Bridging the Gap. If you're a non-technical person, this is a great time to make a career change. But how do you land a new job with no IT experience?

You already know that certification will help you get noticed. Not only does it provide a baseline of knowledge for employers, it shows them you can learn, you're motivated and goal-oriented, and demonstrates your commitment to IT.

According to the study, the technical skills employers are looking for include strong troubleshooting, facilitation/customer service, hardware/software installation, configuration upgrades, systems operations, monitoring and maintenance. Even though employers are looking for these skills in their entry-level IT positions, about 53 percent say that they are willing to provide on-the-job training because they feel that post-employment training is more effective than pre-employment training. So hands-on experience, though preferred, is not required.

(Netdesk still strongly recommends you do everything you can to get as much experience as you can on your own - follow the IT staff at your current job, volunteer at your church/hospital/friends/anywhere you can think of, and of course, build your own network at home.)

But beyond IT experience, what are the top skills that employers are looking for?

• Good knowledge base in the relevant subject matter. Employers are looking for knowledge workers who can grasp the big picture.
• Non-technical assets like good communication, problem-solving and analytical skills, along with flexibility and the ability to learn quickly.
• The largest skills gaps are for enterprise systems integration (IT professionals who get the "big picture") and for Web development.

As an entry level IT professional, how do you use these statistics in your favor on your next job interview - especially if this is your first IT job? The key is to focus on your strengths. Employers are looking for enthusiastic quick learners. They are looking for well-rounded individuals who understand business requirements and who they can trust to make rational, educated decisions about the future of their information infrastructure. The chart with this column offers a few tips on transitioning your previous job experience into a meaningful, highly-desirable skillset. Think about your current job responsibilities from an employer's perspective. What non-technical skills do you have that would be valuable in a technical environment?

Regardless of the industry you've previously worked in, the better you can quantify your contributions to your previous employers, the more impressed your potential employer will be. Now couldn't be a better time for IT professionals, or those in the making, to turn skills that they may have taken for granted into invaluable assets.