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September 22, 2023 - 8 minutes

The Future Tech Workforce: Skills Needed for AI, Cloud, and Cyber Careers

Discover how these three sectors are taking off in tech.

Ironhack - Changing The Future of Tech Education

Careers

You know that there are a lot of job opportunities in tech. But when it comes to what the future will demand, you might be curious about the direction in which the tech sector is heading. Should you learn how to code? Or maybe how to protect a company’s data and information from cyber attacks? While we can safely say that we predict all areas of tech to continue growing in the coming years, three specific areas are on the verge of major transformation: artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity. 

Now like we said, moving into any area of tech is probably going to be a great idea and lead to lots of career growth, higher salaries, and increased flexibility. But as technology advances and new inventions spring up left, right, and center, a lot of energy and human power is focusing on the three aforementioned areas–and with good reason. All three of these sectors will face incredible growth soon and hiring possibilities are practically endless. 

To make sure that this is the right choice for you, we’ve created a helpful guide of everything you need to know about artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity. We’ll run down the basics of each field, cover job opportunities, and resolve any of your burning questions about the industry. Ready? 

The Future of Tech

We lied–before we head into these fascinating areas of tech, let’s talk a bit about tech in general and its future. What can we expect? Why is this such a great time to get into tech? Let’s discuss. 

Technology is moving fast. So fast, in fact, that our predictions for the future have been completely surpassed already, allowing us to dream big and have a truly incredible outlook for the future. So while the possibilities with tech itself are practically endless, so are the job opportunities:

  • The world’s biggest and most well-known companies are all in the tech sector, such as Google, Apple, and Amazon; these companies are known worldwide and offer a wide range of job opportunities. 

  • Tech salaries are among the highest that you can find and most roles have lots of growth opportunities. 

  • The work you’ll do at a tech company means something. It’s human-centered; you’ll be able to see how your work is bettering society as a whole. 

  • As more and more companies invest in tech and prioritize innovation solutions, the need for skilled professionals will continue to skyrocket, creating even more jobs. 

  • Tech roles are known for their flexibility and remote-friendly policies, allowing you to continue focusing on your other passions and responsibilities. 

  • The tech sector isn’t stagnant; it’s constantly evolving and there will always be new skills to learn and master. For those interested in diverse career opportunities and the chance to always learn something new, tech is a great option. 

With a clear picture of what the tech sector can offer you, let’s discover exactly how artificial intelligence, the cloud, and cybersecurity are on the rise. 

The Future of Tech: Artificial Intelligence 

When you think of the future, self-sufficient robots or flying cars may come to mind. And while we’re not quite at that level just yet, artificial intelligence is quickly moving towards our view of the future with automated vehicles and tools like ChatGPT. Artificial intelligence is usually ranked as the number one trend in the future of tech and there’s a clear reason why: it’s an incredibly valuable sector that provides lots of value to both companies and tech employees.

We can sum up the advantages of artificial intelligence with: 

  • The ability to automate repetitive and boring tasks, freeing up humans for more interesting and important responsibilities. 

  • Reduction in human error, eliminating the possibility of mistakes made because of tiredness, boredom, or other human qualities. 

  • The ability to make unbiased decisions, removing human preconceptions or assumptions from data analyzing. 

  • Constant availability, with no rest needed and no sleep, food, drink, or any other breaks required. 

Future trends in artificial intelligence 

And why is artificial intelligence such a promising sector? Because it’s helping us transform our future and reach new heights. Generative AI, for example, leaped to popularity in late 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT, which fascinated people with its human-like ability to respond to questions, suggest solutions, and tell jokes. And while tools like ChatGPT are quite cool to have, the future of artificial intelligence is incredibly bright, thanks to the following trends: 

  • Increased availability of AI tools: one of the main reasons that ChatGPT was such a hit was because it was one of the first high-level artificial intelligence tools to be available to the public, was user-friendly, and was free to use. As artificial intelligence develops and becomes even more common, we can expect to see increasingly accessible tools available to all, not just techies or major tech companies. 

  • Use across all industries: artificial intelligence won’t be just limited to the tech sector; it will become increasingly common in practically every sector. This means that hospitals will be able to use artificial intelligence to compare symptoms across patients, streaming services can provide incredibly personalized recommendations, and schools can provide personalized tutoring or suggestions to students. 

  • Never-before-seen levels of personalization: customers want to feel special and companies struggle with this, especially when they cater to a wide range of buyer personas. But thanks to artificial intelligence, companies can use artificial intelligence algorithms to recommend content or products specifically for you, increasing both user engagement and the user experience and creating a stronger sense of brand loyalty. 

The Future of Tech: the Cloud 

You know that more data leads to better decision-making; you also know that collecting, storing, and processing large amounts of data can be quite the challenge for many companies, especially those that don’t have the necessary resources to handle this information. And this is where the cloud comes in, offering an affordable, accessible, and useful solution for data storage. 

The cloud proves to be a valuable resource because: 

  • It’s cost-efficient, with the majority of providers offering customizable and adjustable plans to meet your current needs. 

  • It’s safe, allowing you to focus your efforts on your company and not on potential data or security breaches. 

  • It allows for multiple users to access information from different locations, permitting your company to operate globally while fully secure. 

  • It boasts quality disaster recovery, given that your data is stored far away from your physical location and has an automated backup process. 

Future trends in cloud computing 

The cloud has transformed the way in which companies store, handle, and process data; thanks to this new way of dealing with data, companies can spend their money and energy on using this data to make better business decisions instead of worrying about security and storage. In the future, we can expect to see: 

  • A mix of public and private clouds: practically every single business has different needs and thanks to the cloud’s customizable nature, we can expect to see even more combinations of public and private cloud solutions as companies find the right formula for their needs. 

  • A rise in edge computing: to combat growing cybersecurity risks and overall concerns about data privacy, edge computing will become more common, which processes data locally instead of in the cloud. 

  • An increased importance on disaster recovery: in the case of a data breach or outage, companies need to know that their data is safe, recoverable, and protected. Because of this, we can expect to see advancements in the area of disaster recovery, focusing on improving the overall recovery service. 

The Future of Tech: Cybersecurity 

The internet and technology in general are incredible tools that have truly transformed our lives. But until we can ensure that our systems and data are secure, there will always be a risk associated with tech; this is where cybersecurity comes into play and why it’s so important. Cybersecurity helps us protect our data, secure systems against hackers, and respect local and international privacy regulations. 

Companies that prioritize cybersecurity can benefit from:

  • Protected data and information, which helps not only ensure business functions as normal, but protects the reputation of the company and increases customer confidence with the business. 

  • Increased productivity by eliminating time wasted on recovering information post-hack or finding and solving viruses. 

  • Better company management, with a clear outline of who has access to what and controlled permissions across the board, in addition to a more informed and cyber-smart workforce. 

Future trends in cybersecurity 

More and more companies are recognizing the importance of not only employing safe cybersecurity practices, but employing skilled cybersecurity professionals that know how to handle and avoid attacks and it’s becoming a priority across the board. With properly implemented cybersecurity practices, companies will be better-suited to provide a safe and secure user experience. Future trends in cybersecurity include: 

  • An increased dependence on artificial intelligence: as we mentioned, artificial intelligence will be present in every industry and cybersecurity is no exception! AI tools will help process large amounts of data, identifying and flagging any potential threats, saving valuable time when it comes to attacks and threats. 

  • Blockchain usage will become more common: blockchain technology is a secure way to both store and transfer information; because it’s decentralized, hackers have a tough time accessing blockchain-stored information. For companies that need a high level of security at all times but don’t have the physical means to store data, blockchain technology will become an integral part of their cybersecurity plans. 

  • More teamwork between companies: it makes sense for companies to be tight-lipped about their cybersecurity policies, right? On a surface level, yes, but as technology advances, the dark side of tech also is reaching new levels and some attacks and threats are nearly impossible to properly identify. In the future, companies will begin to share information about threats and work together to find solutions or simply advise other companies about risks.

As you can tell, the future of technology is bright, but especially in these three sectors. If you’re ready to take the next step towards joining one of these fields and taking advantage of all that technology has to offer, there’s no better place to start than with one of Ironhack’s Bootcamps. From cybersecurity to data analytics and a lot in between, we offer expertly designed curriculum aimed at helping you land a job in tech as soon as possible after graduation. 

At Ironhack, we know that tech is constantly evolving and we identify the gaps in the job market, creating bootcamps that fill these exact needs. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the tech boom, what are you waiting for?! Check out our upcoming bootcamps and take the first step towards your dream career. 

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