We are living in one of the most exciting and dynamic times for the tech sector. In recent years all aspects of technology have experienced an increased pace of development. The labor market is looking for new employees – hundreds of tech ads are published daily in DEV.BG Job Board, and companies are constantly evolving and expanding to meet the challenges of the changing world. According to data reported by “Barometer”, the tech sector in Bulgaria has been growing by 15 and 24 percent annually since 2015 and this trend continued in 2022. Let`s make an overview of the tech industry during 2022 and try to predict some trends in the upcoming 2023.
Small steps, big moves
Since 2015 there has been a discussion that the next significant breakthrough is the quantum computing, but it has not happened yet (at least publicly).
The truth is that there was a period of slight stagnation in this area after the technological mainstream realized that quantum computers are not just faster traditional computers, but they are a completely different technology with a different application. In all likelihood, we are already approaching the moment when quantum computing will find its early adopters, even in commercial use through the so-called hybrid systems. They combine the subatomic world of quantum with classical supercomputers and create systems that are sometimes even millions of times faster at performing certain tasks.
Weather forecasting, engineering and energy are just a few of the areas in which quantum computers will create a wealth of new opportunities for work and development. In the coming 2023, the tech world expected concrete progress that will bring practical benefits of quantum computing in everyday applications.
Most of all, there is a discussion about a significant improvement in quantum error correction, which protects information from decoherence. Some scientists like Michele Mosca from the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo make more ambitious predictions. According to them the quantum solutions will become the most effective and widespread cybersecurity solution in the coming year.
The other futuristic technology that is often talked about is artificial intelligence. There were also many new intriguing developments. Most of us already know about DALL-E which creates pictures based on keywords or existing images. That is the so-called generative artificial intelligence that produces music, videos, photos, etc. The version used in DALL-E is called GPT-3. We can expect many similar developments in this direction, but in a much more advanced version.
We cannot fail to mention augmented work – the entry of limited applications with artificial intelligence into the daily work of employees in many sectors that are not directly related to artificial intelligence.
This can be done directly by analyzing information and synthesizing it into digestible content, or even by VR headset for engineers that shows in real time whether a current can flow through a wire.
It is important to mention the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technologies (INSAIT) at Sofia University. It was established with the support of ETH Zurich and EPFL and works under the direction and supervision of some of the best American, European and Israeli universities and laboratories. This creates a huge potential for participation in the development of innovative quantum solutions for academic and commercial use, as well as numerous accessible programs in the field of artificial intelligence. If you are looking for this type of research experience, this is a good opportunity.
Cloud computing, cyber security and data analysis
A lot of things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Some employees have left their companies and found new ones, a lot of systems have become decentralized and the data has become more difficult to consolidate. That is the reason why these three main sectors have grown at remarkable rates over the past year and we expect this trend to continue over time, at least in the short term.
Cloud computing is one of the fastest developing services within the tech sector. That is why the lack of qualified personnel is particularly noticeable in it.
There is a need for specialists who are well acquainted with some of the leading platforms – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Some of the most in-demand skills are the cross platform skills, that are related to the migration between different clouds, management, security, application development, working with APIs and so on. The work is often time-consuming, but it is definitely worth entering a sector that was worth over $200 billion in 2022.
Every decentralized system also needs great security and prevention. The key role in these two processes play the cybersecurity experts. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor, the sector will achieve growth of more than 30% until 2030. According to the recent data from the European Central Bank over 70% of the web users made an online purchase in the last 3 months.
The main skills you will need to get a job into the field are in penetration testing, cloud security, as well as in various applications. Of course, you will also need more basic skills like risk assessment and data breach detection. A big plus for anyone looking for a job in the sector are certifications like Cisco’s CCNA, as well as CompTIA’s Network+ and Security+.
We should definitely mention data analysis. Data mining, cleaning, processing and organization turns out to be one of the most lucrative jobs in the sector and the first steps in it are relatively easy. SQL for data extraction, Excel for data analysis, basic programming with Python and R these are the basics of a successful career in Data Analysis.
Product management and the prelude to software development
Product management is perhaps the most non-technological part of the tech sector and only about ⅓ of its specialists have education in the field of technology. However, they are an integral part of any successful team and make possible the complete execution of each task and the creation of a final product.
Nowadays you can hardly create any software without a product manager, who have a good ability to communicate effectively both with his team and the customer. It is recommended that they have basic skills in web development and UX design in order to facilitate the process on an operational level.
JavaScript, Python, Go, Java, Kotlin, PHP, C#, Swift, R, Ruby, C and C++ are the most in-demand programming languages now. If you combine them with some set of knowledge in the fields we have mentioned so far, you will lay a solid foundation for future development.
Something newer
MarTech, or marketing technology, is a relatively new field of development within the tech sector, at least if we compare it to those listed so far. It is related to the facilitation and optimization of product advertising.
This can include anything from SEO to different stages of automation. The mass mailing is one of the examples. In order to get a job in this sector, it is good to be familiar with ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and Hubspot, as well as with the various practices in the field of digital marketing. It is important to have a deep understanding of the various functionalities of the main social networks, as well as to handle the relevant automated marketing platforms such as Marketo. It is a good idea to be able to work with Hootsuite and Sprout Social as well.
In addition to Martech, we can also recommend UI/UX design as a good choice for development in the era of digital marketing and the integration between reality and the Internet. Information architecture, wireframing, virtual design, knowledge of component libraries like Angular Material and DevXtreme are the starting points. If you have a prior design experience, it will be especially easy for you to get into that field.
Sustainable options and technologies
As time passes by, green technologies are becoming an essential part of our lives. Governments around the world prioritize digitalisation in order to reduce their carbon footprint. This suggests an increase in the demand for database management specialists, desktop virtualization, SaaS (software as a service) and mostly cloud services specialists. Many of these sectors have already been mentioned previously, but they are worth following with interest because the topic of sustainable technologies is constantly becoming more and more relevant.
In conclusion, we can say that 2023 is shaping up to be “similar, but better.” Things in the tech sector are developing at a very high technical rate. There are many big innovations and breakthroughs ahead in the future that could happen at any moment and change everything fundamentally.
