Hiring has been cut in the tech sector, but certain tech skills are in high demand and won’t disappear anytime soon.
2022 has seen a dramatic shift in workplace dynamics. From a talent shortage (World Economic Forum reports that 85 million jobs in the world could go unfilled due to skills gaps) to the emergence of new AI/ML technologies (Hello ChatGPT! ), evolved hybrid working … or fully remote … up to … or the latest: 4-day work week. As if that wasn’t enough, the tech industry continues to experience massive layoffs as we speak. Talk about flogging.
Anyone else ready for smoother sailing?
The good news is that with the right skills and training, you can ride the wave of economic uncertainty. And if you don’t have the right skills to keep up with a rapidly evolving economy, it might be time to look in the mirror and reassess where you’re going and where you want to go.
Based on my experience as a global telecom executive, here are four of the fastest growing skill sets in the tech industry.
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1) Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML)
No, this is not AI taking over the job. This is an engineer or product manager who knows how to leverage AI to enhance company processes. There is a huge gap in AI/ML understanding and those with this skill set are the market focus.
With AI tools such as ChatGPT and other artificially intelligent chatbots gaining traction in various industries, AI could become one of the defining technologies of the next decade. IT professionals in many roles need to understand AI/ML concepts. One of the reasons AI is such an important skill right now is because of the diversity of technical fields that make use of it. The data communicator has AI tools and the cybersecurity expert uses AI with her UX designer and digital his marketer. Despite all the excitement, it’s still early days and AI will only continue to expand.
AI chat tools are creating new jobs. Let’s take a look at an excerpt from Business Insider’s recent article on his new role as a “prompt engineer” in one of the tech industry’s hottest jobs. Unlike traditional computer engineers who do programming, Prompt his engineer writes prose to test the quirks of his AI system. ”
Machine learning (ML), on the other hand, is a subset of AI that helps computers learn from experience. It’s used in a variety of areas, from suggestion fields in retail to identifying fraudulent transactions in banks. But it is also used in the medical field to detect illness or predict someone’s emotional state via smartphone data.
One of the Forbes articles states that one of the most valuable skills you can have is the ability to augment your or your organization’s human skill sets with AI and find opportunities to make tools and platforms work. It is said that
2) programming and software development
The number of skilled programmers and developers tasked with designing and maintaining systems and applications will continue to grow. And the need for this critical role is spreading across a variety of industries, from logistics and supply chains to retail and healthcare.
In mid-February, LinkedIn released a long list of skills employers prioritize when hiring, posting jobs, and hiring on their networking site. Number one on that list is software development: “Companies need to build the products we rely on in our personal and professional lives.”
Similarly, online vocational skills learning company Coursera says the industry is turning to technology to improve business capabilities, requiring people skilled in developing, maintaining and improving technology systems. DevOps or software engineering people build, monitor, and control an organization’s technology. Coursera lists software development as his second highest earning skill.
Understanding programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, C++, and Python is arguably one of the most sought-after IT skills today. Programming languages are involved in almost every IT job, so IT professionals can benefit from strengthening these skills.
And with the emergence of tools like ChatGPT, there will be even more demand for people who understand the concepts behind software development and can leverage AI to make coding more efficient.
3) Cloud computing
As the cloud becomes central to the topic of digital transformation in organizations, the demand for professionals with the technical know-how to implement a successful cloud strategy will increase. Cloud computing skills appear in LinkedIn’s job listing surveys more often than most skills in the market, and he was named one of the site’s most coveted skills.
Cloud computing skills are essential for IT professionals, especially as many companies now manage multi-cloud scenarios such as configuration, deployment, security, administration, and troubleshooting. According to Computer World, this includes everything from end-user support for Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to analyzing, managing, maintaining and deploying cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). increase.
Cloud computing professionals need to understand how to weave multi-cloud environments into a single fabric. There may be many different cloud components, but the end user is a single app. In order to be able to deliver apps with any kind of reasonable quality experience (and any kind of security), companies need to know when and where those workloads are, what those fragmented workloads are I need to know exactly how the different parts of get from cloud A to cloud B. , and how it all comes together to provide that service. This includes a unique skill set that will continue to be in demand.
4) Project management.
The importance of project management in an organization cannot be overemphasized. When it’s done right, every part of your business will run more smoothly. This allows your team to focus on the work that matters and not get distracted by tasks getting off track or budgets spiraling out of control.
As organizations incorporate layers of technology into their processes, they always need human workers to coordinate projects from point A to point Z. AI can’t do that yet…and AI is far from having those capabilities.
According to LinkedIn, “project management” can be thought of as an umbrella term for leadership, communication, planning, resilience, and organizational skills. All of these are frequently mentioned as being of value to employers.
Many companies use organizational structures where different departments, teams, or team members all work on one product or project. People who are proficient at coordinating work at each of these touchpoints are proficient at project management. These team members may be responsible for maintaining schedules, formulating budgets, and communicating with project stakeholders (or various parties interested in or invested in project outcomes).
According to Coursera, project management shows up in many careers and is especially important in management positions.
Regardless of the size of the project you’re managing, your project management skills can be applied across the board and help you do your job better. Understanding project management methodologies, learning how to manage the project lifecycle, and communicate with stakeholders will make your work more efficient and effective.
It’s true that the tech sector cut jobs in 2022 and will likely continue to do so in 2023. However, it is also true that the above skills are in high demand and will not disappear anytime soon. Having some technical skill sets can help professionals navigate the waves of market uncertainty. There’s never a silver bullet that makes a job truly unbeatable, but having the right skills means you’ll be in demand for years to come.
