10 careers that will see a growth due to Information Technology

By Siddarth Bharwani

With the unstoppable march of smartphones and the Internet, IT has been steadily permeating into every part of our lives redefining how we live and work. With automation, Big Data, 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud computing etc. moving from just being talked about in science fiction movies to our everyday newspapers and the rapid adoption of these technologies, the IT industry is beginning to introduce new career paths that were not previously available. The IT job market was entirely different then, as it will be a decade from now.

Below is a list of promising career paths that will be the need of the hour for future techies and IT enthusiasts.

1. Wearables experts: With the growing popularity of Smart watches and Google lens, it is projected that wearable devices will be used to train new employees, speed up the sales process, improve customer service, create hands-free guidance for workers and improve the accuracy of information collected to serve the growing analytics movement at companies everywhere.

IT departments will seek out technologists with the ability to deploy, manage and maintain hardware as well as experts who can develop, customize and support the applications and analytics programs that will make wearables useful within their specific organizations

2. Tech experts for AI/robotics: Artificial intelligence and robotics have already moved from science fiction to reality, and soon they'll be coming to a business near you. These technologies are expected to infiltrate wide segments of daily life by 2025, with huge implications for a range of industries such as healthcare, transportation and logistics.

Not surprisingly, technologists skilled in this area will be in high demand. IT professionals will have roles to play in programming, integrating and building out the infrastructure for organizational applications of AI and robotics.

3. Digital artisans: As marketing becomes education-based and less sales-based, demand for business writers who specialize in blogs, newsletters, website articles, whitepapers, and special reports will also increase. Individuals in this field must have good communication and writing skills, and be highly creative and original. They must also be self-motivated and self-disciplined in order to meet deadlines.

Run of the mill products, services and solutions aren't enough to sustain companies in an increasingly competitive landscape. To thrive in the next five to 10 years, organizations need to seek out talent that can think outside of the box but execute within the system. To deliver that kind of strategic value, IT pros need to be authentic, relevant, intelligent, speedy, artistic and non-conformist.

4. App Developers: A recent survey found that Indians would rather spend a night away from their partners than without their phone. This only emphasizes the demand and potential for app development in India. The proliferation of mobile technology is driving demand for development of new applications. And it’s not just consumers. Even organizations are implementing some kind of mobile strategy, and they all need tech professionals who can get the job done. Systems software developers, who create the operating systems for computers, are also poised for prosperity

5. Information Security Analysts: Due to the growing number of cybercrime incidences across the country, there has been a propelling demand for information security analysts and has one of fastest projected growth rate of all the jobs on this list. Increasing digital dangers are pushing the state and local governments, and companies of all stripes to hire more white hats to beef up their information security. They are also highly desirable in hospitals and doctors' offices, where the move to keep more digital records pushes the need to protect patients' privacy.

6. Computer Systems Analysts: With the rapid entangling of technology with every aspect of our lives from phones and coffeemakers to cars, you'd be hard-pressed to find a business that doesn't rely on computers in one way or another. That puts the professional who run the computers in very high demand. Computer systems analysts ensure that organizations' technological needs are met and are constantly improving with the advancements and demands of an increasingly connected world.

7. IT Project Managers: All firms work on projects. And it takes very little to get these tasks wrong. To ensure successful project completion rate, an IT project manager maintains information technology strategies by managing staff, researching and implementing technological strategic solutions. The key skills for a successful stint requires a strong combination of communication, planning and organizing skills.

8. Computer Forensics Experts: This is a promising career path since cyber-crime rate is surging. Forensic analysis of communications and data on storage devices, such as disks and CD-ROMs. Those qualified can investigate and uncover evidence of illegal activities and cybercrime, from credit card fraud and hacking to paedophilia and terrorism.

9. Big Data Analysts: As it becomes more and more easier to track consumer behaviour, purchases and preferences, the availability of all this data promises great potential for organization to extract insightful information to use as a competitive advantage. Data analytics and data scientists will continue to be in great demand since they possess unique skills in areas such as mathematics, statistics and management science, combined with associated IT skills which make them highly sought after individuals.

10. 3D Printing Designers: As 3D printing grows, so will the numbers working in it. Jobs will come on board across all sections from designers who can take a product idea and translate it into something that can feasibly be brought to life to engineers and those in sales.

About the author:

Siddarth Bharwani is the director, Jetking.