The high-paying tech jobs require a sharp skill-set and technical know-how. However, the challenge is to ensure your skills outshine all the other candidates chasing the same roles. Demand is high for tech specialists, but companies want the best candidates for the posts.
The only way to stand out from the crowd is to make sure your skills are up-to-date and match what companies are seeking. To secure that email inviting you for a conference call with your potential new bosses and landing that high-salary job, make sure, you arm yourself with the shiniest, most sought-after abilities and skills.
Technical skills are often referred to as ‘hard skills’ because they are based on practical knowledge, practice, and expertise. They are often quantifiable with an aptitude test or assessment.
In contrast, ‘soft skills,’ although equally important (depending on the role) are harder to set an exam for because they are basically about character and personality.
These skills are often assessed in other ways during the interview, either by asking questions or asking candidates to give examples from their previous work experience. Tech skills, on the other hand, are easier to demonstrate and describe. But it’s crucial to make sure you have honed in on skills you have and tried to plug any gaps in your knowledge.
The best combination for bagging that high-paying tech job is to clearly show your hard skills on your resume and demonstrate your soft skills in the way you present yourself and answer questions.
No doubt, organizing your applications and preparing carefully and thoroughly, maybe even creating a schedule baseline, will help give you the edge. Let’s look at five tech skills that will give you the best shot at that high-paying tech job.
1. Data Analysis and Management for high-paying tech jobs
Data, its management, storage, and the science of understanding and using it is an area of growth in all businesses.
Companies and organizations aim to maintain and grow their market share, and data can help them do that. Through data analytics, a company can ensure it targets its marketing, operations, and resources in the most efficient way.
If you’re asking yourself, what is data analytics? It is definitely something to investigate and familiarize yourself with, especially if you want to impress and succeed in your job search.
It is a field that requires skills in mathematics, statistics, and of course, analysis.
Another crucial area of data management is keeping data protected and safe. All companies hold data, and it is increasingly an area where companies can find themselves threatened by breaches and under pressure to ensure clients,’ as well as the company’s own confidential information is securely held.
Breaches in data can have a serious impact on organizations. It is a responsibility and a vulnerability, and for this reason, companies increasingly look to hire specialists who can help safeguard their interests.
The online nature of almost all businesses these days means that data is especially a target for hackers and criminals, and companies are always looking for experts to help them protect data held within the organization itself as well as ways to protect online data.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) for high-paying tech jobs
Artificial Intelligence increasingly forms part of a huge number of business operations, ranging from social media marketing to call center ecommerce.
Artificial intelligence in basic terms, means a computer replicating to an extent, what the human brain can do. The implications for this technological advance are huge, both for organizations and commercial enterprises. The use of AI is constantly developing and growing in sophistication and breadth, making it a key area in which to hone your tech skills and knowledge.
There are various career paths in this field. Companies are looking for engineers in machine learning, researchers, and designers. Many people who end up working with AI have studied computer science or engineering. These days, you can even study artificial intelligence at university, but this is not the only pathway to working in this area.
It is worth researching to find out if you have any transferable skills, which coupled with a bit of on-the-job training, could mean you could eventually move into working in AI at a higher paid level.
3. Cloud Computing for high-paying tech jobs
Cloud computing has applications in increasing areas within companies, including allowing staff to work from home and enabling businesses to improve remote content team collaboration, data and document storage, transfer, and communication.
Organizations use private clouds accessible only to individuals with permission. These are basically online secure storage facilities. Unlike public clouds which anyone online can access, private ones must be monitored and safeguarded by company specialists. Because of the value of data and how useful and convenient cloud-based working is, employees who can work in this area are very much in demand.
It is worth familiarizing yourself with the technicalities and principles of cloud computing to appeal to potential employers. Another route is by interning to gain experience before moving up the pay scale.
4. CyberSecurity
Cybercrime is on the rise, and with increasing amounts of business conducted online, firms have to take cyber security seriously. Cybercrime can be costly and damage a business’s reputation and brand image.
Companies are looking to resource cyber security with the technology and staff to keep their operations safe. The kind of roles that are on offer in this sector include programmers, investigators, and network planners.
As a cyber security specialist, the work can range from putting safeguards in place with cloud storage to configuring a caller ID guide. You might also be called on to set up firewalls, to detect and remove malware, and store and move sensitive data.In light of these responsibilities, obtaining cybersecurity certifications such as the CISSP certificate is highly beneficial. This certification validates one’s expertise in protecting critical information and demonstrates a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of cybersecurity.
5. Software Development as high-paying tech jobs
Software development covers a broad range of tasks and expertise, but at its most fundamental, it requires computer science principles. To work in this area, you need knowledge of programming languages such as Java and Python to create software, which you would also be required to test to ensure its functionality.
It could also include making sure apps are bug-free by examining them with something like an agile manifesto. A willingness to learn new programming languages on-the-job is also an advantage. It’s worth learning about Python and Java best practices right from the beginning to avoid bad programming habits.
There has been a massive surge in software development roles mostly driven by the use of smartphones, tablets, and apps. It is a growing area of the employment market as far as tech skills are concerned.
Software development involves having a good understanding, usually through analysis of the needs of your business. Armed with this information, you would design, create and test software to meet those needs. Many software engineers start as interns in companies, receiving on-the-job training and building their skills.
Focus for Success
When job hunting, it is critical to focus the skills on your resume. You may have a wide range of tech skills; perhaps you have done some digital marketing and can talk confidently about affiliate marketing at your interview. Or maybe you have plenty of social media experience or project management skills. Choose the skills that are the most appropriate for the post, and clearly lay them out.
The most important thing is to tailor what you offer the company through your resume. It will really depend on the research you will have done on what the role involves and what the company wants. So, if you have a long list of tech skills, hone it down to be the most relevant.
You can always expand on your skills at the interview. You may also find that for each job you apply for, your resume needs to be tweaked.
But it is also good to remember that tech skills should be an ever-expanding and developing part of your armory. There is always something new to learn and another skill to gain. Make sure you keep up with developments in the business and tech sectors. Read industry articles and news reports. If there is a new development, in say, the future for call centers, make sure you know how this might affect or benefit your business sector.
Gaining and maintaining a good level of tech skills is not just about getting the job. It is also about getting the high salary you want too. Making your application attractive to a potential employer is a combination of having the expertise and knowing how to present and talk about them.
Prepare yourself well; give yourself the best chance of getting through the first round of the selection process by crafting an immaculate email application. You could, for example, look at a business proposal email sample for the kind of professional language and tone you should be using.
You never know exactly what questions might come up in an interview, but if you know you have what the recruiters are looking for in terms of your tech skills, you are a long way towards landing that perfect, high-paying tech job.
