Most demanded digital profiles

The digitalization of employment and the most demanded digital profiles

Society Employment Digital talent

The transformation into a digital society is happening extremely fast, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the changes. There's no way back for companies, hence the growing demand for workers with expertise in new technologies. Here's a look at some of the digital jobs with the brightest future prospects.

The massive adoption of technology has led to increased demand for digital profiles.
The massive adoption of technology has led to increased demand for digital profiles.

Although we've been talking about the digital transformation of the job market for years, it was not until the last years, when we were forced to telecommuting because of the pandemic, that workers and companies have had to get with the programme and start working in new ways. After the health crisis, the ensuing economic crisis revealed that digital jobs are among the most resilient.

Digitalisation of employment

The idea of digitalising work appeared during the first decade of the 21st century. This meant replacing one way of working with another, and the birth of a technological revolution. These days, concepts like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, machine learning, blockchain and 5G, are already with us and if companies and workers want to survive, they need to adapt. This concept is known as digital darwinism. So the fact is that jobs, particularly the process and operational aspects of work and business culture are not what they were just a decade ago.

Technologies like robotisation, automation, virtualisation, connectivity and, above all, the confluence of all these disruptive technologies have created an extremely complicated job market. All this means that companies are increasingly requiring their employees to have the digital skills that they need to stay in the game and give them an edge in this new digital world.

In a world where the present and future are merging, specific training in digital skills — programming, cybersecurity, data analysis, among others — for example by studying for nanodegrees, has become an added value when it comes to applying for a well-paid job. During the last edition of the Davos Forum, experts from all over the world agreed that in a very short time, skills such as web design and graphic design will become prerequisites for almost any position.

The eight key skills for digital intelligence.
The eight key skills for digital intelligence.

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), a European Union (EU) agency, says that in the near future, around 90 % of job vacancies in Europe will require some type of digital expertise. There is plenty of evidence to back this up. The Talent Trends 2020 report issued by Randstad says that "profiles with the capacity to adapt and which have digital skills will be the most sought-after" and also stresses that companies new concept of talent will be entirely related to digitalisation and the incorporation of technology into business processes".

The five most demanded digital profiles

In the above scenario, companies have embarked on a search for digital profiles to cover their technological shortcomings. According to a ranking published by prestigious US technology journal CIO, the five profiles currently in demand are:

1. Artificial Intelligence Architect (IA)

The only way is up for artificial intelligence in the next few years, in both businesses and in consumers' everyday lives. That's why companies are on the lookout for qualified workers to cover the demand for AI enabled products and services. Candidates need machine learning experience and knowledge of data analytics or natural language processing for integration in AI.

2. Cybersecurity professionals

With the growth of cybersecurity threats and also of database breaches, the demand for professionals continues to increase. The new specialisation of attacks has been met with new profiles and positions such as analysts or growth hackers to assess possible weaknesses. 

3. Cloud Architect

These workers supervise a company's cloud computing strategy and implement, administer and support cloud-based applications. They are therefore responsible for everything involving servers, storage platforms, connectivity and software. This requires a thorough understanding of several operating systems as well as expertise in networking, programming and security.

4. Data specialist

Data specialists are in great demand, because companies are storing more data than ever. Their job consists of classifying and analysing compiled data, both structured and unstructured. As well as a degree in IT, employers are looking for people with experience in data analytics and programming. These workers also need to be skilled in making use of valuable data without putting the company at risk.

5. Web developer

Web developers design, develop, install, test and maintain software systems. The work entails coding, designing and building websites or mobile applications by working with multiple programming languages, such as C #, C ++, HTML, Java, Microsoft .NET and SQL Server. They also have to understand customer needs and make recommendations to improve websites and provide a satisfactory user experience.

OTHER DIGITAL PROFESSIONS OF THE FUTURE

Digitalisation will create thousands of jobs associated with dozens of new profiles. Most of the companies specialising in human resources and even LinkedIn, the social network oriented towards business and employment, agree that the following are professions with a future:

  • Chief Digital Officer
  • SEO/SEM specialist
  • Traffic Manager
  • Copywriter
  • Digital Account Manager
  • Web designer
  • CRM Manager
  • UX/UI designer
  • Social Media Manager
  • Business Inteligence (BI) Analyst
  • Bioinformatician