7 top tech jobs of the future
Flying cars and hover skateboards, the tech industry has a history of over-hyping pretty much anything. One thing is for sure though, the future of the technology industry is extremely bright.
Here are our favourite 7 futuristic technology focussed careers for you to get your hands on.
1. VR developer
Virtual Reality is on the up.
The first real wave of headsets hit the market back in 2015, and whilst we’ve all seen, and loved, the video of Grandma flying down a virtual rollercoaster, firms are now experimenting with VR for its business potential.
As a result, there will be a growing demand for VR developers. However, it won’t just be the gaming firms who are on the lookout for budding talent – all enterprises that don’t want to miss out the next big trend will be hiring VR developers.
The potential of VR is huge; hotels could allow customers to experience a 5* luxury room from the comfort of their 2* sofa bed, stadiums could allow fans to check the view from their seats, and the National History Museum could recreate Jurassic Park.
Anyone with a growing interest in VR would do well to nurture their skills and get themselves out there.
2. Security engineer
This is really a job for the here and now.
Companies are desperate to hire cyber security experts amid a growing shortage of people with the right skills and an increasing number of cyber threats every day. As a security engineer, your job will be to make things more secure by protecting system boundaries, keeping customer systems and network devices hardened against attacks and securing highly sensitive data. You’d essentially be a system locksmith.
US recruitment site Glassdoor said that security engineers earned an average of $102,749 in 2015. Why wait for the future? Earn the qualifications you’d need to jump straight into a role like this through our cyber security courses.
3. UX designer
UX stands for user experience, so a UX designer is a professional who makes sure that a product is functioning in a way that is easy for people to use. Say goodbye to the days of clunky and unattractive websites and customer journeys.
For those looking to be the voice of the unheard customer, a UX designer role is perfect.
4. Data protection officer
With stringent new EU data protection legislations now in force, data protection officers are more in demand than ever. This is because DPOs will be mandatory for companies who frequently monitor data subjects on a large scale by ensuring the company is aware and more importantly, compliant with all data protection rules.
Plus, with the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation in May 2018, companies are facing more regulations on what they can and can’t use people’s data for – making the requirement for a DPO even greater.
5. Chief digital officer
Whilst the chief digital officer isn’t a new role and plenty of organisations have already appointed people to these positions, many companies are only just beginning their digital transformation journeys – so the need isn’t going away anytime soon.
The role of a CDO is to embed digital thinking throughout the business so if you’re a digitally-savvy business type, then there’s potential to carve out a new role in your current company.
Theo Blackwell, the Chief Digital Officer for the Mayor of London, explained that “The new Chief Digital Officer post is an amazing opportunity to make our capital even more open to innovation, support jobs and investment and make our public services more effective. The pace of change over the next decade requires public services to develop a stronger relationship with the tech sector. Our purpose is to fully harness London’s world-class potential to make our public services faster and more reliable at doing things we expect online, but also adaptable enough to overcome the capital’s most complex challenges.”
If the Mayor of London needs a Chief Digital Officer then it must be a good gig.
6. AI developer
Artificial intelligence (AI), originally founded as an academic discipline in 1956 but rejuvenated in the mid 2010s with renewed funding and Microsoft’s introduction of The Kinect as a 3D body-motion interface, has quickly become the next big thing. With the likes of Google, Microsoft and Facebook actively pursuing this it’s no wonder they’re looking to develop their AI tools and take on AI experts.
This is a trend that’s only going in one direction, so those with the necessary technical skills may well benefit from refocusing their expertise in this area.
This doesn’t have to mean becoming an AI whizz overnight, as it’s more about understanding the capabilities and potential on offer, and how they could be incorporated into existing workflows, and dealing with the data it creates.
7. Data scientist
Whilst this isn’t ‘new’ either, data scientists are the supposed crown jewels in any IT team’s artillery. The hype surrounding data scientists is huge, and has resulted in many organisations calling data analysts data scientists, but true data scientists require a far greater set of skills.
Skills unknown to man. Skills only given to the chosen ones.
Ok, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but data scientists are responsible for jobs that span three domains of skills: statistical/mathematical reasoning, business communication/leadership, and programming. They are also often tasked with leading data science projects from end to end. That’s a pretty demanding and extensive set of skills.
Either way, if you are lucky enough to have those skills, or can develop them, you could be rewarded with a job at one of the world’s biggest companies with a handsome six-figure salary to boot.
Our key advice would be to stay ahead of the times and keep a keen eye on the trends which will determine the future of the tech industry to help you find your next big IT job. In the meantime? Find the right career for you with the help of our expert career consultants.
