It’s 2022, the year of diverse opportunities, especially for those in tech. Millennials and Gen Zs are fast learning to be sensitive to opportunities outside traditional career paths. Only a few days ago, 16-year-old John Oseni made the news with his appointment as senior blockchain and web developer for Flywallet, an Italian firm. If there’s anything to take out of this news, it is that tech is open to people of all ages.
Perhaps the word ‘tech skills’ sounds formidable and makes the idea of acquiring one appear daunting. This, however, is hardly the case. In-Demand tech skills are simply hard skills you use to get a specific job done. These require competencies in research, computer operations, programming, engineering security, software engineering, and information technology. Developing and perfecting these in-demand tech skills means increasing your career potential in the tech-driven world that we live in today.
For the most sought-after in-demand tech skills of 2022, we have scoured the internet for tech-related job vacancies and put together this list to guide you.
- Cloud Computing:
Cloud computing is an internet service that allows users to save files to a remote database and retrieve the same immediately when requested. For decades, this service has been dominated for ages by IT giants like Salesforce, Amazon (Amazon Web Services), Google (Google Cloud), Microsoft (Microsoft Azure), IBM (IBM Cloud), and Linux (Cloud Linux).
If you use any social media platform or have used internet applications such as Google Docs, Microsoft Online, and Dropbox, then you have experienced the benefit of cloud computing first-hand. With cloud computing, organisations have unlimited access to all kinds of computer services, including applications, programmes, and data storage, without spending resources for hardware installation in their office locations.
Today, these cloud companies are stepping up their operations and collaborating with software providers to increase the quality of their services and generate new sources for income flow. To this end, they now have a huge demand – running in millions — for cloud computing specialists who can help execute their technical deliverables. Also, businesses are on the lookout for cloud specialists that can help them make a seamless transition of their digital resources from their remote database to the cloud.
With skills such as networking, programming, database, Linux, information security, web services, and APIs, you will be fully equipped to set out on this career path.
- Cybersecurity
The possibilities and potential for wealth creation within the digital space are boundless. But as knowledge and innovation advance in IT, so does cybercrime. Cyber hackers and fraudsters have become more sophisticated in their craft and have pushed many thriving businesses to bankruptcy. Hence, businesses should be proactive about building impregnable security systems around their digital assets, systems, and operations.
Amid the rapid digital innovation and the massive amount of sensitive data and information being exchanged today, there is still a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals to protect these data. This leaves huge opportunities for those already skilled in this area and new industry entrants.
To build an enviable career in cybersecurity, the following is required:
- An in-depth understanding of computer networking. CompTIA Security+ and Cisco CCNA certifications will be a great advantage here
- Ability to maintain and configure computers, which is system administration
- Expert knowledge of operating systems and ability to work on all of them
- Knowledge of network security controls
- Coding, most especially Python, PHP, SQL, and Go lang. HTML, C, and C++ are basic programming languages that every potential cybersecurity professional must have.
- Internet of things and blockchain security.
In addition to the list above, experts in this field must have a good knowledge of cybersecurity laws and regulations and the ability to carry out security audits and handle security threats and attacks in real time.
Many perks make this career worthwhile, and the mouth-watering salary is one of them. The poor supply of competent hands in the profession gives cybersecurity experts a high negotiation advantage. This is not to mention that companies offer a very high amount to get the best available experts for themselves.
Also, you do not need a related college degree for this profession. You will do just fine if you avail yourself of the numerous learning resources on the internet and acquire the relevant certification.
- UI/UX Development
With almost 2 billion websites and over 4 million mobile applications available on the internet, there is a huge need for experts who will ensure that these webs and apps are attractive and efficient.
Internet search engines use bounce rates to determine how to prioritise websites on their results pages. A website that cannot retain its audience due to an unflattering user interface or overall poor quality and utility will not thrive on search engines. With thousands of competitors on the internet, this is a nightmare for any business.
If you already have graphic design skills, you are on your way to becoming a proficient UI/UX (user interface/user experience) designer. Your creative thinking, emotional design, and prototyping skills will come in handy here.
But this career is not only open to people with artistic or computer backgrounds. Regardless of your background, as long as you can shift your priority from earning conversions to understanding the customer’s psychology and creating a product that will attract and appeal to them, you will excel. The job is 100% user-centric. UI/UX design is the one job that gives you plenty of room to harness your logic and creativity, allowing you to balance aesthetics with utility.
There are few and negligible barriers to entering into the discipline, and it does not take a special degree course to practice the profession. Certification is accessible and affordable. With online platforms like Udemy and Coursera, you will get all the instruction you need to set out on the career path.
While understanding how a technology works helps design the UI and UX product, coding is not a compulsory skill. So aside from the optional coding skill, other useful UI/UX-related skills include research, critical thinking, visual communication, content strategy, product design, etc.
- Data Analytics:
In a bid to align with technological trends, many traditional businesses are now more intentional about data collection and storage. However, they are unable to convert these data into insights for making intelligent business decisions. Data is important for drawing a connection between independent events, making predictions, understanding business direction, and helping to address specific business problems with strategic decisions backed by data.
Because the goal of every organisation, especially multinationals, is to find new ways to optimise their business processes, they always need people with the right skill set to use, interpret, and translate their big data towards quality decision making.
With a predicted 20% industry growth over the next 24 months, data analytics opens up opportunities for working-class tech enthusiasts to learn and master the skill and make a successful career out of it. The usual requirements are skills such as data visualisation, statistical analysis, descriptive analysis, machine learning, and predictive modelling.
To further get a chance in the job market, you are advised to:
- Get some education in the field. You can choose between obtaining a college degree or attending training/boot camps and getting a certificate.
- Practise to hone your tech skills
- Take on projects that require the use of real data and develop your portfolio with these.
- Get an entry-level job in the field. And even after you do, don’t stop learning. Tech evolves, and you must stay abreast of innovation.
- Software Development
Closely related to and often confused with mobile app development, software development refers to creating, designing, and deploying software and software support. In business, this skill is important for creating programmes that help improve business efficiency and produce marketable tech deliverables.
Software development is a rapidly growing field and commands one of the highest pay in the world. In the United States of America, it has been predicted that over 50% of workers will be freelancers. Of this 50%, a great percentage will be software developers. Today, hundreds of thousands of software development jobs remain unfilled.
One of the many good things about this job though: it is just right for almost every kind of person. Whether your dream is to join a large company and work in Silicon Valley, or you are simply comfortable helping to grow a small vision and company, all kinds of companies need software developers. They are, however, mostly in demand by banks and financial services firms, tech consultancy companies, software development companies, and telecommunications companies. What’s more? There are lots of remote work opportunities for those with this preference.
To start this career, you will need mathematical aptitude, proficiency in multiple programming languages which your specific role will determine, teamwork (because of the likelihood of collaborating with teammates from remote locations), attention to detail, problem-solving aptitude, as well as the interest in keeping abreast of trends.
If you ever needed a good reason to pick up any of these in-demand tech skills, now you have more than enough. And in case you already had these in-demand tech skills but have gone rusty from disuse, now is the time to go back and brush upon them. The future is digital. Join the train.
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