We all are aware of the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The world witnessed a sheer collapse of numerous job markets as economics crumpled and communities struggled due to the pandemic. Prolonged lockdowns and many people testing positive for COVID-19 forced many businesses to shut down, resulting in reduced available workforce or high-scale layoffs.
However, the IT industry defied all the odds and witnessed an astounding growth in the last couple of years, mainly due to an increased demand for online retailing, creating platforms for remote work, and implementing innovative technologies to maintain smooth workflow under prolonged lockdowns. Ever since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve seen more IT jobs being created each year for remote and on-site positions.
The IT job market has a positive outlook and shows no signs of slowing down, expecting a 30% growth until 2030. Companies are looking for qualified individuals to spearhead digital initiatives, offering lucrative salary packages and attractive incentives. If you’re an IT professional or fresh graduate looking for a promising career with a generous compensation package and growth opportunities, here’re four lucrative pathways you can consider:
1. Cybersecurity Specialist
Digital transformation and online presence have become an integral part of organizations worldwide as they adopt a digital-first strategy to streamline their workflows and maintain a strong online presence to reach target markets.
However, this has also triggered a massive increase in cyberattacks, data and network breaches, and intentional or unintentional data leaks. Therefore, data and information security have become a growing challenge for companies around the globe, resulting in a surge in cybersecurity job demand like never before. According to the US Department of Labor, cybersecurity is among the fastest-growing field in IT, with an expected growth of over 33% and a median pay way above the average annual income in the US.
Cybersecurity specialists are IT professionals responsible for implementing strict security protocols within an organization and protecting its valuable digital assets and IT infrastructure from unauthorized access, cybersecurity threats, insider threats, and data leaks. They also play an important role in devising policies, creating disaster recovery plans, ensuring compliance with data security standards, and training employees on the secure use of technology within the organization’s premises.
To become a cybersecurity specialist, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in IT, computer science, cybersecurity, or equivalent.
Cybersecurity is an expansive field itself and promises perpetual growth. As you gain more experience, you can advance your career and achieve top-management roles, such as chief information officer (CIO), chief security officer (CSO), cybersecurity manager, compliance manager, IT risk manager, etc.
2. Cloud Engineer
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of remote work and online collaboration platforms for organizations worldwide. Organizations or you can say IT professionals started relying heavily on cloud computing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and data-as-a-service (DaaS). Today, many cloud service providers offer businesses all-out enterprise-wide application services, web and application security services, and database management services. These services are a convenient and cost-effective alternative to local IT infrastructure and application development or maintenance. Hence, this has increased the demand for experienced and qualified cloud engineers.
Cloud engineers hold in-depth knowledge of creating, maintaining, and expanding private clouds. They help businesses create cloud computing strategies and design cloud security architecture to minimize downtimes and secure private clouds from unauthorized access and external threats. Some of the highly paid-roles in the domain of cloud computing include cloud engineers, cloud architects, and cloud security specialists.
To become a cloud engineer, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in IT or computer science, specializing in cloud computing or a diploma/ certification in Amazon Cloud, cybersecurity, or Microsoft Cloud.
3. Machine Learning Engineer (ML)
Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become buzzwords within the corporate sphere. Businesses are adopting systems with AI and ML capabilities to help the top management in decision-making, forecasting, and converting raw data into meaningful inferences. This has increased demand for ML engineers, with over a million jobs expected to be created worldwide by 2027.
ML engineers have expertise in developing, implementing, and maintaining machine learning models and AI and ML-powered corporate applications. They use strong algorithms, natural language processing (NLP) techniques, statistical tools, and complex programming techniques to create ML solutions.
ML engineers can develop solutions like predictive models, NLP-based interactive modules, intrusion detection systems, fraud detection systems, forecasting solutions, and more. They update these systems over time using huge datasets, adjusting parameters and hyperparameters to improve performance. Since their work requires extensive expertise, attention to detail, and advanced problem-solving skills, they are usually highly paid and have an attractive compensation package. ML engineers typically have an educational background in programming, with expert-level programming skills in Python, Java, Lisp, Julia, R, and C++.
4. Blockchain Developer
Blockchain is undoubtedly the future of financial transactions and information security. Since its debut in cryptocurrency, blockchain has gained acceptance and recognition in all industries due to its transparency, increased data security, and decentralized approach. Industries such as fintech, healthcare, banking and finance, government and non-government, and even e-commerce invest in blockchain-based solutions to cope with data security challenges and third-party frauds and reduce their dependency on intermediary services, such as banks and government institutes, for financial transactions.
Blockchain developers are responsible for designing, developing, maintaining, and upgrading decentralized blockchain applications (DApps), blockchain structures, and the architecture of blockchain systems. They use their in-depth knowledge of programming, cryptography, data structures, and blockchain architectures to build smart contracts, create blockchain protocols, and ensure the smooth functioning of blockchain networks and public ledgers within a decentralized network. Moreover, they identify private key vulnerabilities and weaknesses within a blockchain application and focus on implementing foolproof security mechanisms to protect blockchain networks from potential attacks.
Blockchain technology continues to disrupt businesses across the globe, with more and more businesses adopting this technology to secure their financial transactions, improve supply chain management, and enhance data security. If you want to become a blockchain developer, you must have the following education and skills:
- At least a bachelor’s degree in IT or computer science
- Exceptional programming skills in Python, C++, and Java
- In-depth knowledge of blockchain architecture, cryptography, and blockchain protocols
- Advanced problem-solving skills
- Comprehensive understanding of data structures
Key Takeaways
Every day, thousands of new jobs are created in IT. To land a lucrative job in this sector, you must develop expert skills in programming languages, tools, and technologies listed above. Technology is ever-evolving, and staying competitive and relevant in any IT job requires continuous learning, experience, and advanced skills. So make sure to adapt to new technologies and stay updated on the most recent developments to position yourself at the top of the industry and chart your course to success.
