What Technology Careers Will Take Off by 2020?

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The tech industry changes at an astounding rate, which is why, when pursing a technology degree, you’re not setting yourself up for a career that’s available now, but in the future. That’s why it’s important to keep up with technology trends when assessing your eventual career. We sat down with two expert resume writers and recruitment thought leaders to learn how students pursing a technology degree can best position themselves into a career path, what skill sets recruiters will be looking for, and what the next big change in the technology industry might look like.


Our Technology Career Experts

Debra Wheatman Technology Expert

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Debra Wheatman is an experienced human capital management strategist and the founder and president of Careers Done Write, a career management and branding firm. Debra, who possesses both Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) designations, is globally recognized as an expert in advanced career search techniques. She has been featured in numerous leading online, print, and trade publications. You can follow her on twitter @DebraWheatman.

Jessica Holbrook Technology Expert

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A nationally recognized resume expert, Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast and a former human resources manager and recruiter. Leveraging more than ten years’ experience directing hiring practices for Fortune 500 companies, Jessica’s innovative and brand-driven resume development strategies have secured a 99.6% interview-winning success rate for her clients. As a global resume authority and trusted media source, Jessica has been featured and quoted numerous times throughout CNN.com, The Chicago Tribune, Monster.com, Local Job Network Radio, International Business Times, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @GreatResume.


What you think is coming next according to the changes in the industry as well as from the perspectives of recruiters?

Debra:
Over the last 12-18 months we have seen huge security and privacy breaches in retail, healthcare and higher education. Foreign states are inserting hacking training in school curriculum as early as elementary school and the “good guys” are falling woefully behind. The US government recently issued new mandatory guidance for security protection for critical infrastructure, which will require a lot of staffing at all levels in more than a dozen industries.
One of the things that I hear from my clients is that recruiters don’t really understand the positions; therefore, they are not getting the right resumes to the hiring managers. I think that hiring managers need to convey to HR the needs /requirements of these positions so that recruiters can send the “right” candidates.

Jessica:
Recruiting has no boundaries. We are seeing more and more job seekers (especially within the tech industry) being recruited globally via telephone, video interview, and e-mail. Headhunters and recruiters can use “technology” in today’s job market to locate candidates with the required skillset from almost anywhere in the world. Affording their clients – the employers – better choices. The market is very competitive within the IT industry and I only see it becoming more competitive.


What technology job do you think will have the biggest employment growth by 2020 and why?

Debra:
Cyber security jobs will without a doubt continue to be hot, hot, hot. This includes everything from strategic planning jobs to engineering and administration jobs. The openings are everything from tactical hands-on roles to more strategic positions.
The demand for cyber security job hiring is 4x greater than all other IT jobs combined and 12x the job market as a whole, but the job fills are taking longer and pay rates are higher. And with all the focus on all things cyber there seems to be no end in sight.

Jessica:
Software developers and web developers would be my top two choices for fastest growing tech jobs. The demand for engaging apps, mind-blowing graphics/games, and online shopper-friendly websites are only growing. Companies want to be on the cutting edge of all these tech advances and developers with unique gifts and talents will be the first ones chosen by companies who want to experience explosive growth.


How can we advise our audiences about the trends and skills recruiters will be looking for?

Debra:
1. It is a given that successful candidates will need to know technology and cyber security.
2. They also need to improve their business and communication skills. One of the biggest challenges to cyber security has been the inability of techies to clearly and effectively communicate the real risk and business impact of security failures.
3. The new cyber defenders need to learn how to think like the enemy.
4. Cyber security is very dynamic and can be high stress– you need to be flexible, able to think on your feet and deal with short term high stress situations.
5. Creative problem solvers are much more effective than check the box types.

Jessica:
IT job seekers know how important it is to stay up-to-date on the latest software, training, programs, and certifications. Once they’ve gained the credentials, keeping that information relevant and updated on their resume is just as important. Recruiters will not waste time looking for this information so having a tech skills section on the resume is crucial for IT job seekers in the job market. Candidates also need to think ahead instead of just reacting to what’s “hot” on the market right now. They need to consider where their career is heading and invest in certifications/training that will be an investment into their careers a year or two down the line when those programs become the highly desirable ones to obtain and the ones companies are in hot pursuit of.

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