5 Technology Skills to Boost Your Career in 2023

As we enter a new year, it's natural to think about the changes and trends that will shape the professional landscape in the coming months. One certain thing is that technology will continue to play a major role in many industries. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, technology is one of the top drivers of job growth and disruption. As a result, it's more important than ever to make sure you have the right technology skills to stay competitive in the job market. Here are five technology skills that will be in high demand in 2023 and how you can start developing them today.

1. Cloud computing:

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services, such as storage, networking, and software, over the internet. Companies are increasingly moving their operations to the cloud to take advantage of its scalability, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. Gartner forecasts worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services to grow 20.7% to a total of $591.8 billion in 2023, up from $490.3 billion in 2022. As a result, there is a need for engineers who can manage and implement cloud-based solutions. To start developing your cloud computing skills, consider taking a course on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Cloud computing can also be divided into different categories such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), each category has its own set of skills that are required. For instance, IaaS professionals should know about of virtualization, storage, and networking, PaaS professionals should be familiar with cloud-based development and deployment platforms, and SaaS professionals should be familiar with cloud-based software such as CRM, ERP, and HRM systems.

2. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML):

AI and ML are rapidly becoming key technologies in many industries, from finance, and healthcare to retail and transportation. These technologies are used to automate tasks, make predictions, and improve decision-making. To start developing your AI and ML skills, consider taking a course on Python, the most popular programming language for these technologies, or TensorFlow, an open-source platform for building machine learning models. A great choice of libraries is one of the main reasons Python is so popular for AI, providing base-level items so developers don’t have to code them from the very beginning every time. Python programming language resembles the everyday English language and is very flexible making the process of learning easier, its popularity keeps growing among scientists, software developers, professors, and large corporates. AI and ML can also be divided into different categories such as supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning, each category has its own set of skills that software developers will require. Supervised learning requires knowledge of classification and regression techniques, unsupervised learning familiarity with clustering and association rule mining, and reinforcement learning with Markov decision processes and Q-learning.

3. Cybersecurity:

As the use of technology continues to increase, so does the threat of cyber-attacks. Companies are continually seeking solutions to protect their networks and data from these threats. These will continue to increase with the expansion of IoT. IoT entails connecting a system of interconnected computing devices, mechanical and digital machinery, items, animals, and/or people to the Internet. Each "thing" is given a unique identifier and the capacity to transport data autonomously across a network. Allowing devices to connect to the Internet exposes them to several major risks if not adequately secured. To start developing your cybersecurity skills, take a course on ethical hacking or a certification in a specific security technology, such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Security. Cybersecurity can also be divided into different categories such as network security, application security, and information security, each category has its own skill set. For instance, network security engineers should know about of firewalls, intrusion detection, prevention systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs). Application security engineers should be familiar with the software development life cycle (SDLC), and information security professionals should be familiar with data encryption, access control, and incident response.

4. Data science and analytics:

Data is becoming increasingly important in decision-making and strategy. Big data has become a key component thanks to the actionable insights and results businesses can glean. However, the creation of large datasets requires understanding and the correct tools on hand to parse through them to uncover the right information. Businesses need scientists, engineers, and professionals who can extract actionable insights from data and use them to drive business outcomes. A Data scientist’s main goal is to ask questions and locate potential avenues of study. They often develop predictive models for theorising and forecasting. To start developing your data science and analytics skills, consider taking a course on data visualization (tools such as Tableau, PowerBI), statistics, or programming languages such as Python, R, and SQL. Data analytics focuses on processing and performing statistical analysis of existing datasets. Analysts create methods to capture, process, and organise data to uncover actionable insights for current problems and establish the best way to present this data.

5. Web and mobile development:

Mobile apps and web technologies have changed the way we live. According to Statista, the number of mobile users worldwide is expected to grow to 7.33 billion by 2023. As demand continues to grow, so does the need for engineers who can develop and maintain web and mobile applications. To start developing your web and mobile skills, take a course on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C++, and/or C#, or a specific framework like React or Angular. It also helps to have back-end computing knowledge including data management, back-end frameworks, security, hardware and software integrations.

The job market is continually changing and evolving, and the technology arena is one of the drivers of the change. This means that it is more important now than ever to stay ahead of the curve. Investing in your education, professional development, skills, and training will always benefit you in this industry. The more you do for your education and skills, the more you are likely to achieve.

At Redline, we have more than 40 years of experience in the field, and our experienced consultants help electronics professionals find both permanent roles and short-term contracts in the electronics field. Check out our current electronics jobs listings, or send in your CV today. For more information, email us at info@RedlineGroup.com or call 01582 450054.