Nowadays being in tech is no longer considered as a novel path. Most companies now are heavily dependent on technologies and tech talents to continuously improve their products and more efficiently run their operations.
Furthermore, these jobs are highly skilled and highly paid, contributing to the productivity and growth of the wider economy.
The boom of tech start-ups has transformed the marketplace and created demands for new types of labour. The growth rate of digital jobs was twice higher than that of non-digital jobs between 2011 and 2015 in the UK. Many different industries are being swept off with disruptions and changes and need to rely on diverse talents to get ahead in an increasingly competitive ecosystem. Here are some examples of the hottest trends for those looking for more innovative roles for their next career.
1. Supply Chain
I know that traditionally supply chain doesn’t sound very sexy, but with the U.K. and the world experiencing the transition into Industry 4.0, there are so many exciting opportunities for revolutionising innovations.
The rise of Industrial Digital Technologies (IDT’s) which include robotics, additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing), and self-driving cars has been leading force driving the Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution. One 2017 study of industrial digitisation stated that the U.K.’s manufacturing sector could create generate hundreds of billions of pounds over the next ten years through IDT’s and create 175,000 highly lucrative jobs.
An aspiring tech talent interested in being a leader in this new revolution might want to consider advancing their knowledge about supply chain and operations by taking in-depth supply chain or procurement courses. It is easy to be empowered with knowledge today; get started immediately to make yourself a much more attractive candidate!
2. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a serious risk with which all firms across all sectors and geographies are deeply concerned. The widespread adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) has brought on new cybersecurity challenges. The talent shortage in cybersecurity is a well-known problem; it’s predicted that there will be a global shortfall of 1.8 million cybersecurity professionals by 2022.
According to Malwarebytes’ lead malware analyst Chris Boyd, in 2018 several thousand MikroTik routers were compromised and wrongfully used to mine cryptocurrencies. This trend is expected to only grow. Lack of security innovators in the space of IoT, people are looking to the governments to regulate and incorporate security infrastructure the industry desperately needs. This would be extremely important for defence, healthcare, transportation, energy, and manufacturing.
Any cybersecurity expert will have so much room for growth in their career trajectory and will have an opportunity to leave a significant impact on the development of a new digital era.
3. Blockchain and Tokenisation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved 29 firms to test the token issuance in their regulatory sandbox in 2018. While most of today’s blockchain applications reside in the financial services industry, most enterprises are evaluating how they could leverage blockchain technologies (global ledger and smart contracts) in their business models.
The UK government recently invested £10M into blockchain research and Santander was the first bank to release a retail global payment processing app on a blockchain platform. With the collaborative attitude and input from the government, this sector will thrive and hit a tipping point in the next 5 years.
Even if you are not a sophisticated engineer well-versed in the world of the ‘trustless’ platform, there is a variety of roles that are needed in blockchain startups (financial market experts, for instance). You will be at the forefront of people creating something absolutely brand new or re-engineering underserved issues using never-before-used concepts and systems.
