How Covid-19 Impacts The Tech Job Market – Some Good News
The current Coronavirus pandemic has dealt a crushing blow to the world economy. Every sector has been hit hard, and the IT space is far from exempt. Still, if we look carefully, the crisis has actually stimulated need in some areas. Let’s take a look at the new tech job opportunities arising out of the crisis.
What A Difference A Month Makes
According to the Wall Street Journal, job postings for core enterprise-technology positions at U.S. companies fell by nearly 70,000 in February, after rising by 52,000 in January. Overall demand has fallen for software developers, systems engineers, project managers, and other tech workers.
However, for certain skill sets, the pre-existing talent shortage will continue to drive hiring. The positions with the highest demand include:
- AI Architect
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Data Analyst, Scientist, Engineer
- Developers (web, software, mobile)
- DevOps Engineer
Quickly Emerging Talent Needs
Although it’s too early to see trend data, some niches will undoubtedly require new tech staff. For example, remote work and video conferencing platforms have seen a huge spike in subscriptions. Zoom recently stated that it is expanding infrastructure and hiring IT staff to meet increased demand.
How long the current COVID-19 lock-downs will last is anybody’s guess, but more people are online simultaneously than ever. Both YouTube and Netflix have announced they will reduce bit rates to relieve strain on the Internet.
You can bet that companies are seeking ways to improve quality without adding more stress to the system. This means technologies such as edge computing and content delivery networks (CDN) will increase in importance where latency is unacceptable (gaming, video streaming, etc.).
IT Job Market Rebound
Today’s reality is that nearly every company has become a tech company to some extent. This progression will likely accelerate as more people stay at home. People continue to consume goods and services, and even more transactions will be done online. Amazon is even hiring 100,000 more staff to fill shortages due to increased demand.
Later, we might see a surge in tech worker demand industry wide. This makes the current crisis a brief window of opportunity. For IT workers, this is an opportunity to gain new perspectives on how to hone your skills. For businesses, it’s a good time to beef up your tech staff as job-seekers are more plentiful. But know, this will most likely be temporary.
The digital revolution isn’t over, and new leaders will find a way to thrive. Good talent will remain critical to success.