As a software development you know that working in the same code day-in-and-day-out can get a little stale, to say the least. Adding new programming skills to your IT toolbox is essential in the struggle to stay relevant in the fast-paced tech world, but knowing which technology to choose isn't always obvious. Your time is limited and with the multitude of languages and environments picking the wrong area to focus your efforts can prove costly.

Indeed.com, a job aggregation website, shared recent stats with CIO.com to help identify where the jobs and the money are. Using recent job listings, we've identified the programming languages that are in demand by employers as well as the top cities for particular programming languages and which top-tier companies are...

SQL
Most businesses and websites have databases that work behind the scenes and many of those databases rely on SQL. Structured Query Language is what is referred to as a specialized programming language in that it was designed for editing and querying data residing in relational database management systems.

Java
Java's write once-and-run-anywhere mantra says it all. This cross-platform, object-oriented [url=http://www.novelink.co.uk/development/web-development]web development[/url] language has become one of the most sought-after programming skills in the developer world. It's been around since 1995 and is still one of the most popular languages from a developer and an employer perspective.
HTML

Documentation is another aspect of coding that is too often overlooked. Some developers believe it is not their job to document, others just don't get around to it because of time constraints. Documentation of functions/methods and how particular sections of code are supposed to work can help with debugging and avoid the old "What was I/he/she thinking with this code?" situation.
I suggest that whenever you create a new class/function/method (or any other relevant piece of code) create the skeleton of it ONLY, then write the documentation. Only once the documentation is done should you think about implementing the guts of the function. This will ensure documentation doesn't get forgotten and you will have a much clearer picture of what you are trying to achieve before you set out.
HTML is one of the fundamental technologies that the Web is built upon. When combined with JavaScript and CSS, you can use HTML to create impressive Web pages and apps with interactive features such as collocation capabilities, better forms, video and canvas capabilities and Web storage. Add CSS and jQuery to the mix and you've got one of the hottest design paradigms right now: responsive design. These features will help developers and businesses better engage with their customers.

I am a big believer in continually trying to improve my skills, knowledge and most of all coding standards. By using the techniques above (as well as others) the quality of software can be improved and over time so will your skills. Let us know your thoughts on the techniques listed above. Do you use them already? Do you think they will work for you or do you hate the idea altogether?