Tech professions 2024: Instability is at the heart of tech, with innovations constantly changing the interplay of roles and skills. The past two years have been particularly volatile, with rising interest rates, funding drying up, and the beginning of mass layoffs. Now that things are starting to stabilize and organizations are hiring more strategically, jobs in technology sectors are a safer bet. The LinkedIn Economic Graph team highlighted the primacy of digital occupations as those most in demand by companies. But in 2024, the year of hyper-connectedness and artificial intelligence, what will be the most in-demand and highest-paid digital professions?
AI
There is no denying that artificial intelligence, particularly generative artificial intelligence, is a topic of interest today. While tech companies such as Apple, Meta and Microsoft have already benefited from artificial intelligence and seen stock prices rise, 2024 is expected to be the year when all companies adopt the technology in an effort to reduce costs and increase efficiency. KPMG research across several industries reveals that 71 per cent of companies plan to implement a GenAI solution within two years, and four-fifths want to increase their investment in artificial intelligence by more than 50 per cent by the end of the first half of 2024. Well-paid roles in artificial intelligence include prompt engineering and more customer-facing positions, including AI Architects.
The Software Architect specializes in designing the functions and specifications of computer software and applications. He studies and designs solutions that meet the business needs and cost containment of implementing a new system. He defines program specifications and makes the logical design of individual software components, designing simple, usable, easy to maintain, and scalable software. Handles the testing phase to verify that the software works, meets initial objectives, and performs any revisions and upgrades.
Cybersecurity
With all the advances in AI technology, the downside is that it is now easier than ever to impersonate the online presence. Deepfakes can bypass access controls through voice and facial recognition, and phishing attempts can be automated relentlessly. In addition, with cloud transformations and remote work occurring across organizations and industries, cybersecurity has never been more critical. The most exciting jobs in this area include engineers and analysts. Thus, it comes to the aid of companies the Cyber Security Specialist, a professional with a critical security role in safeguarding the most sensitive data and information. This figure deals with strategy, programming of protection programs and procedures to mitigate threat risks.
Fintech
Aside from cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, which exhibit considerable volatility, the fintech sector continues to improve financial services for individuals and businesses, and valuations remain steady. Forecasts indicate that by 2026, the market will expand at 9.6 per cent. Data engineers, developers, and legal professionals will all benefit from this job market as technology and regulatory requirements continue to evolve.
SEO Specialist
Search Engine Optimization indicates all the techniques put in place to optimize a site’s content for search engines. Appearing in the first positions of the SERP (Search Engine Result Page) is today more important than ever; analyzing the most searched keywords, inserting them within one’s content, and packaging ad hoc promotional campaigns allow us to obtain visibility and increase awareness and sales. This is precisely the task of an SEO Specialist: to provide further visibility to the site and the content within it.
UX and UI Designer
The UX (User Experience) Designer is responsible for designing applications, sites and technologies that make the customer experience as satisfying as possible. He is a “filter” figure between the company and the customer who observes, carefully and constantly analyzes the design of the products produced. A profession very close to the UX Designer is the UI (User Interface) Designer who deals with the interface of sites and applications, designing visual hierarchies, typographical scales, and many other aspects to make use of the site (or application) as immediate and straightforward as possible for the user.
