The tech market is changing rapidly: new technologies appear every day, while new versions of programming languages and even new languages appear every year. The dynamic nature of the IT industry is explained not only by the frantic pace of technology development but also by its high sensitivity to changes in the world. One of such changes is the pandemic.
The pandemic has not only changed our settled way of life, limiting our movements and habits. The pandemic has seriously affected the IT market.
Last year, the list of TOP-7 in-demand specialities included Analysts, Python developers, Data Engineers, Ruby on Rails specialists. Due to the fact that our usual way of life has changed a lot, the ranking has also undergone deep changes.
Let's see what specialities have become the most sought-after nowadays. The data collected is based on international ratings, as well as statistics from my IT recruitment agency Lucky Hunter.
1. Cybersecurity Engineer
According to Careerkarma, in 2021 the demand for Information Security Engineers will grow by 31%, and the average global salary will reach almost $100,000 per year.
In my company, the number of requests for the selection of Security Engineers has increased by 18%.
Why?
The COVID-19 situation has forced many IT companies to switch to remote work, and some IT titans like Twitter are now planning to work from home on a regular basis.
The increase in the number of remote employees created the need for companies' data protection because along with the development of online processes, cyber fraud is also developing.
This encourages numerous IT companies not only to hire Cybersecurity Specialists but also to open entire departments dealing with information security.
2. Golang Developers
According to PYPL rankings, in April 2021, there was an increase in the number of searches for Go language on Google, and the TIOBe index calculated that the number of web pages dedicated to Go increased by 1.3% compared to last year.
At Lucky Hunter, the number of requests for recruitment of Go developers has increased by 30%.
It is noteworthy that in the latest survey from Stackoverflow, Go was included in several categories at once. So, Go took 12th place in the list of the most popular languages, displacing Ruby and Kotlin, was ranked fifth in the list of favourite programming languages and hit the podium in the list of the highest salaries of tech specialists.
There is no direct correlation between the increasing popularity of Go and the pandemic. Go has been one of the most popular and demanded programming languages for several years now. Convenience, ease of learning, cleanliness of the code is what motivates many programmers to switch to Go.
3. AI Engineer (Machine-learning Engineer)
This trendy profession expects to be even more in-demand in 2021. Rapid digitalization and the need to simplify online processes have done their part: according to the Careerkarma rating, Artificial Intelligence Engineers took the premier place with an expected increase in demand by 344%! The average salary of such specialists is $146,085.
At Lucky Hunter, the request for recruiting AI Engineers has increased by 14%.
4. Mobile App Developers
IOS and Android Developers have always been sought-after specialists. A year ago, there was an even higher demand for Android developers. Today the borders are particularly blurred.
The popularity of Mobile App developers is also linked to the pandemic. Many companies, especially non-IT companies, are looking for new ways to sell their services, and mobile applications are a fairly fresh sales channel adapted to the new conditions.
According to MobileFuse research, Mobile ad engagement has risen 15% In 2020. Moreover, Apple has calculated that, on average, a user unlocks their device 80 times a day.
In addition, during the lockdown period, people began to use their mobile devices more often: they order food via popular food delivery services, buy clothes and other stuff online. Entertainment has also switched online, allowing the GameDev industry to attract a lot of new users.
5. Classics
Despite the global changes in the IT market, programming languages such as C, Java, Python and C ++ continue to occupy the top positions in the list of in-demand languages.
According to the TIOBE index, these languages are ranked 1-4 respectively.
In addition, due to the specifics of the market, the demand for other IT specialists, such as Product / Project managers, analysts, QA, DevOps engineers, will remain at a fairly high level.
The latest news has shown that one event can turn the world upside down, especially the tech world as it is very sensitive to changes. If you work in the IT field, remember: in order to stay in focus, to occupy a demanded position, or to competently hire IT candidates for the team, you need to constantly follow market trends.
Follow the news, upgrade your skills, assemble IT teams in accordance with the changes, and then you will definitely succeed!