When you were younger, did anyone say that when they grew up they wanted to work as a coder, software engineer, or front-end developer? You probably heard a lot of aspirations around becoming a doctor, musician, astronaut, or teacher, but not as much about becoming a technology professional.
Fast forward to today’s job market and some of the highest in-demand talent is among technology professions. Which, of course, makes sense as technology influences almost ever aspect of our lives today.
Between creating technology that helps cure diseases or mobile apps that saves people both time and money, technology professionals are working on the most revolutionary advancements of our time.
Let’s take a look at the type of jobs and skills that are in the highest demand among organizations today.
Top Jobs in Today’s Market
Software Developers, Information Technology Operators (DevOps) and Security Analysts, oh my!
As we saw in 2016, companies created an abundant amount of software in order to stay relevant and compete in the current digital market. Now, companies are increasing their emphasis on software and bring on more DevOps to set practices to build, test and release software rapidly and reliably. However, new software brings new opportunities for hacks and security breaches, causing many organizations to hire more Information Security Analysts. Stated in the Robert Half 2017 Technology & IT Salary Guide, Web Development and Software Development will see the highest salary growth in today’s market.
Data Scientists and Big Data Engineers
As we know, numbers matter. Organizations rely on analytics to help provide insights into their business efforts such as how well products/services are performing, what mistakes need to be fixed and how organizations can use the information to work smarter in predicting and producing desirable outcomes. Data Scientist salaries are predicted to increase 6.4% ranging from $116,000 to $163,500 throughout the year and Big Data Engineer salaries are predicted to increase 5.8% ranging from $135.000 to $196,000 in 2017.
User Experience (UX) Designers
We’ve all experienced it. You’ve gone to a website and found a broken link or an unappealing aesthetic and decided to leave the page. The importance of a great user experience on websites, mobile apps and any digital interface is critical in proving the organization’s legitimacy and credibility. Customers expect a seamless user experience, which is why organizations are focusing on arming their technology teams with senior UX Designers who know how to deliver a consistently great user experience to drive business and brand credibility.
Staying Relevant
The nine most in-demand skills and certifications in North American organizations hiring tech talent in 2017 include the following: ASP, C#, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CompTIA A+, Java, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and .NET development.
Keeping up with new skills can be time consuming and costly for IT professionals. Likewise, employers are searching for a better way to fill high-demand jobs and vet their candidates. Microcertifications might be the answer. They provide a way for an employee to learn and master a very specific skill or set of skills. This way, an employer can verify candidates’ skills and candidates can stand out in a sea of worthy professionals.
If you’re a tech pro thinking about venturing to a new opportunity, learn about the advantages of connecting with a tech recruiter for greater job seeking success. But don’t discount the power of social media and your personal brand.
View recent technology opportunities for companies looking for senior level technical influencers.