Tech boost for your career

With the demand for workers with advanced tech skills increasing constantly, many companies are putting more resources into recruiting, hiring and nurturing the right talent to remain in the global competition.

That means employees willing to put time into developing the latest tech skills may have the upper hand in landing some of the most in-demand roles.

When technology continues to evolve exponentially, it can be daunting to identify the latest set of technical expertise needed to flourish in various disciplines. One way to find out is to understand people are spending their time learning new skills.

After analysing data from more than 40 million users, an online learning platform found out that the most popular in demand is Python, a programming language. Overall, the report notes there’s considerable interest in learning about artificial intelligence (AI) and data science as well.

Here are the top 5 most popular tech skills of 2020 — and where workers are leveling up the most:

Machine Learning

It is an application of artificial intelligence. Machine learning allows software applications to become accurate in predicting outcomes. Moreover, machine learning focuses on the development of computer programmes. From Siri to Alexa, chatbots to predictive analysis and self-driving cars, there are a ton of uses for this futuristic tech. The International Data Corporation estimates that spending on AI and ML will grow from $12B in 2017 to $57.6 B in 2021. Also, 61 per cent of organisations insist that Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence will be among their top data initiatives in 2020. Machine learning is being applied to every industry, including healthcare, education, and finance. How does it translate for the students? The possibilities are endless; one can apply machine learning skills to a role that suits one’s personality and interests.

Data Science and Analytics

The reality is that all connectivity created in the world is churning out massive data; we need more talent to translate that data into information. Furthermore, this “creation of data” will never slow down. That creates the rise of whole new opportunities designed around data analytics. Innovation in analytics is a priority for almost every organisation today. However, bottlenecks in the critical areas of talent, data, and analytics strategy often block progress. 

Fueled by big data and AI, demand for data science skills is growing exponentially, according to large job sites. The supply of skilled applicants, however, is growing at a slower pace. It is a great time to be a data scientist entering the job market. 

Mobile App development

The global app economy is projected to generate $21 trillion, a clear indication of how booming the mobile app industry is. As smartphones are clear winners of communication devices, applications power any and every form of communication. The demand is on a constant high, and with the mobile applications completing a decade of existence, the world has seen a lot of innovations. A developer has to learn multiple programming languages. There is a wide array of programming languages that students can learn and gain proficiency in building applications. 

Any of these technical skills will set the path to a successful new tech career in 2020 and beyond. Now it just comes down to which is best suited for personality and interests.

Cloud computing

Today companies are no longer engaged in a debate about the usefulness of cloud computing. Cloud computing jobs are on the rise because more and more companies are shifting to cloud solutions. Some of the must-have skills for 2020 are cloud migration and deployment, integrations within multi-cloud environments, cloud security, AI and ML related to cloud, serverless architecture, automation to name a few. According to Forbes, the worldwide spend on cloud computing services will grow at a 19.4 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from nearly $70B in 2015 to more than $141B in 2020. And with that growth, comes the demand for the cloud professionals who will manage the technology. 

IoT

In a large overview, the term IoT encompasses everything that is connected to the internet. However, it is increasingly being used to define objects that ‘talk’ to each other. “IoT is made up of devices—from simple sensors to smartphones and wearables—connected,” says Givy Dhaliwal, CEO at ONE BCG. “We use cloud-based services to make office spaces smart with access to the internet, along with many other in-house systems such as light sensing, motion sensing, temperature sensing, and more. 

“IoT is set to be the next tech jobs boom in the IT industry. Students who specialize in IoT will likely be highly sought after for this reason,” he adds.