11 best careers in technology in India
Whether you have been taking apart computers since your teenage years or you are a recent tech enthusiast, there are many technology careers that you can explore to spend your work days doing what you love. In this article, we have compiled some of the best technology jobs according to demand and salary.
1. Software engineer
A software engineer uses the concepts of computer science to develop and test different software such as operating systems, desktop applications, mobile apps, computer games, etc.
Skills
Software engineers need to know programming, testing, debugging, database management, working of software development cycles, problem-solving, and collaboration.
2. Cloud developer
As the pandemic rages on, cloud computing has become increasingly important and the need for skilled professionals will continue to rise.
One of the entry-level positions in the field is cloud developer. These folks are involved in software development projects such as developing applications on the cloud.
Skills
The most in-demand skills for becoming a cloud developer include programming, debugging, knowledge of data storage and processing, understanding of cloud APIs, and know-how of cloud infrastructure.
3. UX designer
UX designers create intuitive user experiences. Such experiences help a user achieve their objective behind using a product or service.
Skills
To design the perfect user experience, UX designers use a wide range of skills such as user research, prototyping, wireframing, creation of information architecture, basic coding, etc.
Soft skills like empathy, communication, organisation, and collaboration are also important for success in the role.
For insights about UX design skills and salary, read UX designer salary: How much do UX designers earn and what skills do they need.
4. Product manager
Product managers are responsible for creating a product that users love.
It can involve managing and improving an existing product or launching a new product. In the case of a new product, they are part of the entire product lifecycle including from ideation and development to launch and marketing.
As you can imagine, managing a product is not a single-person job and involves interaction between various departments like design, engineering, and business; Product managers are the central point of contact for this communication. However, they have no direct authority over any of these teams and have to streamline the process through their people skills.
Skills
The most important product management skills include time management, collaboration, user testing, product research, data analysis, and documentation.
Wondering if we missed ‘coding’ in the skill set? While product managers who are prolific programmers may be required at some organisations, that’s not the case for most jobs.
5. Full-stack developer
A full-stack developer has a thorough understanding of the end-to-end process of web development. They can switch between the front-end and the back-end part of the process and lead web development projects.
Skills
They need to have a diverse skill set. For the technical bit, they need to have excellent programming skills in front-end and back-end development, knowledge of web architecture, and server management. Other skills needed to shine in this role include project management, problem-solving, and good communication.
Learn about these skills in greater detail in Web developer skills you should have to land your first web development job.
6. Cybersecurity specialist
With the increase in online businesses and services, the need for cybersecurity professionals has grown rapidly. Companies and government organisations are looking for cybersecurity experts such as information security analysts, ethical hackers, incident responders, etc.
Skills
While skills vary across each profile, common cybersecurity skills include knowledge of networking, operating systems, coding languages, system administration, problem-solving, and attention to detail.
To learn more, check out the ‘Careers in cybersecurity’ article.
7. DevOps engineer
DevOps is a word composed of 2 terms – development and operations. In the pre-DevOps, the software development team built the application, and the IT operations team maintained it. It was a one-way process with little interaction between the two teams. The development team could not recognise issues early on which created more downtime for customers.
The DevOps culture aims to improve collaboration and communication between development and operations teams. It helps in creating robust solutions which reduces downtime.
Skills
DevOps engineers have strong technical and communication skills. They need to be proficient at programming, especially scripting languages, version control such as Git, continuous integration, and testing. In addition to these techie skills, they need to possess interpersonal skills like collaboration, active listening, openness to feedback, and empathy.
8. Data analyst
Data analysts are responsible for defining a business problem, gathering data, drawing insights from it, and making recommendations to improve the existing product.
Skills
Essential skills include knowledge of MS Excel, SQL, statistics, and visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI. In addition to these hard skills, they have good presentation skills as they communicate with different stakeholders regularly. Nice to-have skills include programming, skills with Python and R being the most in-demand languages.
9. Data scientist
Data scientists use data (duh) to help businesses make high-impact decisions. For example, perhaps using a recommending model can show more personalised recommendations to users. This could then increase the conversion rate.
Once data scientists recognise these opportunities or improvement areas, they use their skills to create solutions such as prediction models, recommendation models, NLP models, etc.
Skills
Data scientists are skilled programmers in languages, such as Python or R. They also need to be good at math and have a firm grasp of statistics and probability concepts, MySQL, and MS Excel. Other must-have skills include problem-solving and structured thinking.
Read ‘The roadmap to a career in Data Science’ to dig deeper into the field.
10. Data engineer
To use data for business outcomes, it needs to be first collected and prepared. This is done by data engineers who devise solutions to store, process, and clean the raw data. This data is then used by data scientists for analysing and making predictions.
So, data engineers work behind the scenes to manage data and make it truly useful. If data science is the “sexiest job of the 21st century”, then data engineering is what makes the sexiest job a possibility.
Skills
At a basic level, data engineers need to be good at SQL and programming. Other skills include data warehousing, cloud computing, and data visualization.
11. Solutions architect
It is a mid-level role in the software development team. Their job is to make sure that the business goals and technical solutions are aligned. This is achieved by taking a set of business requirements and designing the best technical solution for it.
A solutions architect is the point of contact for everyone involved in designing the solution including developers, project managers, analysts, etc.
Skills
On the technical front, a solutions architect decides the best technology to solve the problem like databases, technology stack, cloud computing tools, etc. They also need to ascertain whether a new product fits in well with the existing enterprise architecture.
Other responsibilities include designing solutions within a budget, ensuring that each member delivers outcomes.
Skills
Solutions architects typically need a tech background in academics, experience working with complex projects, and excellent communication skills.
How to break into a career in technology?
Now that you know about the top tech careers you can explore, let’s find out how to get into the field.
1. Explore your interests
You can begin by trying out free resources or low-stakes online training that allow you to learn and try out things quickly. Internshala Trainings has many beginner-friendly trainings where you can learn new skills from scratch and work on exciting projects such as creating e-commerce websites, redesigning the Instagram app, finding vulnerabilities in websites, and so on.
2. Do an internship
The tech field is a bit infamous because of the job-experience conundrum. One of the ways to exit this catch-22 situation is internships. Think of any tech career, and there’s surely an internship that you can do.
Internships come with many advantages, such as giving you the requisite experience to get an entry-level tech job, helping you understand how you can apply theoretical knowledge, finding a mentor, and sometimes getting a PPO!
3. Work on your projects and build a portfolio
You can build a GitHub repository so that potential recruiters can see your work. Additionally, you can also work on open-source projects.
Other than coming up with project ideas, you can participate in competitions on popular sites like Kaggle, HackerEarth, CodeChef, etc.
4. Get certified in a niche
Once you are certain about your area of interest, you can get certified to show your expertise in a particular niche.
5. Keep on learning
As a technology professional, you need to have a love for learning new technologies. For many, this is the allure of the tech field. And given that you are in a field of your choice, learning new things can always be exciting.
Eager to get started with your career in tech? Then, check out Internshala Trainings for trainings in UX/UI design, data science, ethical hacking, web development, and more. Use BLOG10 for an additional discount of 10%.
