4 tech jobs that will be commonplace in 10 years’ time

With technology evolving at an ever-increasing rate, even those working in the tech industry can find it difficult to keep up with the pace of change. This speed of change is highlighted by a significant stat from the World Economic Forum, which reports that 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in a job that doesn’t yet exist. Even the next five years is anticipated to see a lot of change, with over a quarter of tech professionals (27%) believing their job will change substantially in the next five years.

But what does this change mean for the people already working in technology? Whilst we can never know what the future holds, we can predict that to remain employable in the tech industry professionals need to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

Find out below what roles might be commonplace in 10 years’ time and what you could do now to secure a job like this in the future:

Internet of Things (IoT) developer

Connectivity is already becoming commonplace in the average home and workplace and it’s a trend that is only going to continue - the IDC predicts that by 2020 close to 30 billion devices will be connected. With the growing popularity and adoption of IoT, there will be a need for skilled technology professionals who can develop complex networks. 

In order to secure yourself a role in IoT development, it’s important to begin learning languages that enable rapid prototyping. Although Java and C# are commonly used to develop many apps, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to provide the flexibility required for fast-paced IoT. Instead, it’s worth investing time in learning languages like Ruby, Scala, and Clojure which will be more suited to supporting rapid development.

Cyber security expert (‘ethical hacker’)

Hacking methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, raising concerns that sensitive data can be accessed more easily than ever before. In the coming years, companies could be faced with fines if they don’t take the necessary precautions to secure their data (up to 4% of global annual turnover in the case of the impending General Data Protection Regulation), so the demand for cyber security experts or ‘ethical hackers’ who can help protect systems will increase. Many employers will expect the people they hire to have a degree in computer science or a related technical field and/or a Certified Ethical Hacking Certification. As data breaches are becoming more frequent, more cyber security specific degree programmes are being introduced so employer expectations will naturally shift to the most current certification courses.

Virtual Reality (VR)/Augmented Reality (AR) developer

Once a thing of science-fiction, virtual and augmented reality are now making waves in several industries. As a result, the demand for VR/AR developers will continue to increase rapidly over the next few years - and you won’t be limited to working for gaming companies with the construction, automotive, health care, tourism and education industries all looking to incorporate this technology. Developers from a variety of different fields are likely to thrive in this challenging role, especially if they have a lot of experience using C# and C/C++ as these are likely to be the most common languages used for VR/AR programming. With several platforms on the market, it’s best to choose one and master it if you’re aspiring to become a VR/AR developer.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) developer

In 1950, Alan Turing predicted that, by the year 2000, answers from a computer would be indistinguishable from those of a human when asked questions by an interrogator. In 2018, with the continuous development and application of artificial intelligence, we’re getting closer to that reality.

If you’re looking to become an AI developer, a graduate scheme is a good route to take. To qualify for a place, you’ll probably need to have completed an advanced Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence degree and have already gained a deep understanding in production-grade software development and project based machine learning implementations. Aside from the graduate scheme route, you could start as a C++ programmer or junior software engineer and work your way up the ladder.

If you gain the right qualifications and experience now, you’ll be in high demand by employers in the years to come.

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