6 niche skills changing the future of technology in 2019

2019 will see high requisitions for 6 niche skills.

The year 2019 will see technology companies upping their hiring game with a focus on individuals equipped with niche talent across the technology space.  As more and more technological disruptions change the fundamentals of doing business, tech companies will gravitate towards scouting talent that would give them an edge over their competition with a direct impact on their business returns.  In a 2018 survey conducted by PwC, 63% of decision makers from the ITES & IT sector observed that Machine Learning and other AI powered solutions will be prominent forces transforming workplaces of the future. While the demand for candidates equipped with the understanding of these technologies is high, the supply still remains bleak. Another such survey states that only 17% of recruiters have been successful in hiring candidates with an expertise in these specific areas. In face of this unmet demand, 2019 will see high requisitions for the following skills writes Devashish Sharma, Founding Member and Chief - Strategic Accounts & Alliances, PeopleStrong.

Artificial Intelligence

Some of the biggest tech organisations in India have begun investing in hiring for AI, and this number is only expected to grow up this year. The boom in tech startups in the country is also acting as a catalyst propelling this trend forward. Jobs like AI Technology Software Engineer and AI Architect will soon become the most-sought after jobs this year. Significantly, Artificial Intelligence has also become one of the most common domains where Indian professionals are upskilling themselves in order to acquire the skills necessary for sustaining in the dynamic tech industry.

Machine Learning

Machine Learning applicability has significantly gained momentum in the last few years. This year, both corporates and startups are expected to invest in hiring ML Engineers and ML researchers with adeptness at the basics of Python, Spark and SQL. With face recognition and text mining gaining popularity, the candidate vying for such jobs must know how to utilise natural language processing and possess strong software engineering skills.

Cloud computing

With enterprises moving towards fast-paced digital transformations, the demand for cloud computing related roles will significantly increase. In order to onboard the best talent in this field, recruiters will offer highly competitive offers to individuals suited for job roles like Cloud Software Apps Developer/Engineer and Cloud Architects with an exhaustive understanding of cloud technologies. These roles are primarily responsible for developing and designing of virtual interfaces that support the overall cloud operations of an enterprise.

Design

Another prominent skill to drive recruitment forward in the tech sector is designing skills in the digital space. With design thinking becoming an important parameter of sustaining a unique brand identity, tech companies will increasingly hire individuals in the capacity of Interaction Designer, Visual Designer and Experience Designer. These skills will be mainly required to improve UI and UX for websites, microsites and mobile application interfaces aimed at increasing customer engagement levels across platforms.

Research & Development

With newer technologies being introduced every day, it becomes imperative for Indian tech organisations to keep up pace with their global counterparts. Consequently, the hot jobs in 2019 will also come from the R&D portfolio with an aim to strengthen market position by developing new innovative solutions. Positions like R&D Scientists have become crucial in driving developments in Machine Learning, Internet-of-Things and Artificial Intelligence.

Analytics

Tech organisations have identified data analytics as a means to generate measurable insights that can augment business procedures. The year 2019 will see an increased demand for data scientists, this demand outpacing the supply of skilled employees. This disparity in the demand-supply side would only result in high bargaining power for individuals who are well-skilled for such a job requisition with proficiency in languages like Python and R.

With technology companies back in the hiring game, 2019 heralds a positive employment outlook for individuals who have equipped themselves with these skills. The affirmative hiring sentiment would further facilitate the already growing trend of gig workers across the country. Recruiters from the sector would now be focusing their efforts in identifying full stack experienced professionals with an expertise in working across multiple stacks.  For IT professionals, this would mean rigorously working on up skilling themselves on these new age skills in order to stay in the game. For tech organisations, on the other hand, it would mean bolstering their recruitment strategies to scout the best but finite talent in the country. All in all, the year 2019 would be a hotbed of untapped opportunities for IT professionals and a race for organisations to employ the best from the available talent pool.