Tech domains and skills to keep an eye on in 2023

Technology skills that were once in vogue are suddenly appearing less fashionable—thanks to automation and shifting industry trends, and skills that started the year with a bang have now ended it with a whimper. In the broader context, the tech world is navigating some heavy turbulence at the moment. Between layoffs and workers quitting their jobs, the sector presently sits on a knife’s edge. As 2023 kicks in, professionals cannot be satisfied with facing the new year with what they know while holding on to the same mindset.

The new year will be daunting for seasoned personnel and people entering the field alike. An economic meltdown is a possibility, the demand-supply gap in tech talent – notably digital tech talent – is predicted to rise, and a singular approach won’t guarantee survival. Hopeful candidates should add layers to their portfolios by updating their expertise and upskilling/reskilling to fit under new-age tech domains that are expected to defy uncertainty and industry trends in the coming year. With clever thinking and moves like career cushioning, professionals can navigate workplace redundancies and find exciting new opportunities by retaining a high level of desirability.

2023 is a year to adapt and think big. It is a point when exciting innovation in numerous tech fields will result in blueprints for our future in computing, communication, logistics, healthcare, entertainment, and much more. Watch the following sectors and skill up to their requirements to stay abreast of the new year’s biggest themes, ideas, and conversations.

1. ML/AI: The recent emphasis on natural language processing, variants of neural networks, and data manipulation has propelled artificial intelligence (AI) into a higher orbit. Future AI trends will see more progression in both generative and discriminative AI. Another trend is AI prescriptions for optimal automated actions rather than simply making discrete predictions. Moreover, organisations are increasingly requiring personnel who can not only design algorithms but also deploy them, leading to what we now recognise as MLOps.

AI upskilling will intersect with data science and machine learning (ML), including working in a cloud environment. AI and ML are being interspersed in other disciplines outside traditional computing – in physical and life sciences, for instance – and also finding uses in scientists’ and engineers’ analytical methodologies. Those wanting stimulating careers in robotics, healthcare, business intelligence, and even emerging areas in digital humanities must be comfortable with large and diverse datasets besides learning advanced data analytics and computational skills.

2. Blockchain: Lifted by Web3 developments, the relatively nascent sector is being pursued by companies as a legitimate framework for enhanced customer service, connectivity, and security. With an expected global market value of over US$ 30 billion by 2030, the Web3 blockchain sector is currently accelerating positive dialogues over conversational AI, data storage, and payments. And as customers demand more data privacy, the rise of connected devices and technologies like 5G is setting up blockchain to be a candidate for the next big thing.

Blockchain has usurped other Web3 tags like crypto and NFTs and is being explored by companies as a replacement for older information delivery systems. With its improved operational scalability and higher efficiency, blockchain technology is at the centre of decentralisation plans in BFSI, healthcare, logistics, and virtually every sector associated with a business network. Elementary blockchain skills like cryptography, cybersecurity, and blockchain programming languages (like Python and Solidity) will be a good place to start for people wanting to skill up in the field.

3. Full-stack development: Full-stack development might not be the newest domain. Still, the distinct growth of front-end and back-end programming and their convergence over the past two decades has left a major impression on web designing and development. Full-stack developers are in demand due to their all-round knowledge and ability to save time and project expenses.

Mobile and web applications will continue to proliferate the market—there will be no lack of suitors for full-stack developers in the immediate future. Even as other software personnel have dropped off hirers’ radars, people versed in full stack will offer versatility and flexibility to organisations through their ability to juggle multiple programming languages and databases without breaking stride. Having a comprehension of entire technology stacks (e.g. Django, Ruby on Rails, MEAN stack), libraries (e.g. React, jQuery), and visual effects gives a full-stack developer a complete package – and a competitive advantage over someone with knowledge of the individual technologies.

4. Internet of Things: Recent advancements in AI/ML, data transfer, and cloud computing have propelled IoT’s success. It is, without hyperbole, the future of digital connectivity. Its present-day applications in health analytics, industrial monitoring, and home entertainment are driving the sector’s rapidly increasing value on the back of favourable change management, cost, and cybersecurity.

The arrival of 5G has further sped progress in the sector, and newer applications are predicted to feature in B2B/B2C, healthcare, and logistics, eventually unlocking a potential global economic value between US$ 5.5 trillion and US$ 12.6 trillion. With more devices plugging into a massive ecosystem, and businesses getting in on the act, there’s no better time to brush up on the relevant embedded systems, networking, and design fundamentals.

5. Cloud safety: It’s the age of the cloud. Public cloud services spending in 2022 was nearly US$ 500 billion, pushed by swelling spending in SaaS and cloud system infrastructure services. While an overwhelming majority of big companies run on a multi-cloud infrastructure, small businesses (tech-based and otherwise) are also turning to the cloud to base their operations on and optimise costs. Remote work has also highlighted cloud services in recent pandemic times.

Despite the expansion, the mechanics of the cloud are open to online threats and need safeguarding. Protecting data, sensitive information, and workloads in a landscape that’s constantly under threat is a growing but challenging prospect. The market is budding due to broader adoption and increased data generation—cybersecurity professionals can expect to find themselves busy keeping corporate data away from bad actors. Digital asset management, risk management skills, asset security, and software development security are some prerequisites to get started with.

For those in the tech industry, the new year will be a time of reassessment, rethinking, and re-strategising. As the list of high-value, specialised domains builds, professionals should think beyond traditional fields and refresh their resumes with new-age skills that go in hand with the zeitgeist’s modern-day outlook. As with any cultural wave, yesterday’s technological progress might be passé today. Investing smartly in the right skills give today’s technologist the best shot at a long, rewarding tech career.

The article has been written by Dr. Abhinanda Sarkar, Faculty Director, Great Learning