IT careers-more latitude than longitude

 

Gauri Chhabra
‘The traditional IT careers are long dead, long live IT’- This adage which was once used for system of Monarchy In England very well fits the IT sector. The IT Engineering jobs that fulcrum around programming languages like VB.NET, C# etc have given way to careers in niche areas like Artificial Intelligences, Big Data, and Business Intelligence. This is due to popularity of platforms like IBM Watson that is already complementing human decision-making in fields such as cancer diagnostics through artificial intelligence.
The numbers say it all
As per National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) report, it has been predicted that the IT industry will generate $350 billion revenue by 2025, but because of automation, the total number of jobs generated will be 50% less than predicted. At the same time, new type of jobs will be created: While today, the IT-sector has routine- jobs, the sector will see a 56% increase in high-skilled jobs that require analytical and problem solving skills bringing about a dynamic shift in the next five to seven years creating a higher demand for up skilled engineers in niche areas.
The report also mentions that top level management at IT companies in India feel that by 2020, “skills held by 50-70% of their current staff would not be relevant to their business.” Therefore, if you are thinking of pursuing a degree in Computer
Science Enginee ing or are already in career in the IT sector, you need to
pause and ponder about the career options that offer more latitude. Following are some areas in which you can jumpstart your career:
Big Data
A grasp of languages like Java/C/C++ is no more the only pathway to success in the IT sector. To get into big data, you may need to master languages like Scala and
Hive that are less mainstream.
Below are the forking career paths in this field:
Business Intelligence(BI)
In this category, you would be playing the role of a Business Analyst. From developing software to planning the projects,
BI spans across a broad array of job roles which require diverse skills including
proficiency in relational database management, SQL, basic programming,
analytical abilities, etc. However merely having the theoretical knowledge will not
work, which is why it is very important to have a hands-on experience in related
technologies. Hence if you are looking for a BI job then it is better to have a certification
that is going to give you a privilege over other candidates. This would be
related to the analysis and presentation of data in the form of reports and dashboards
etc. The role often requires interaction with (or querying of) databases,
both relational and nonrelational, as well as with Big Data frameworks. The related
tools that would help you are Power BI ( Microsoft)
Artificial Intelligence(AI)
AI (or AGI) is a field that is based on machine learning, natural language processing
and pattern recognition. At its core, AI is built upon a knowledge of advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry combined in various ways to create a means to detect, assess and act on information. There are opportunities at all levels. Sensors for data capture can range widely in form; web spiders and API software apply in some areas while CCDs and laser scanners are needed in others. Basic computer technology and math backgrounds form the backbone of most artificial intelligence programs. Entry level positions require at least a bachelor’s degree while positions entailing supervision, leadership or administrative roles frequently require master’s or doctoral degrees.
Machine learning research
Machine learning is the practical face of AI. It’s about identifying sources of
data, then creating systems that analyze that data and make decisions based upon
it. Machine Learning researchers are those crafting and using the predictive and correlative tools used to leverage data. Machine learning algorithms allow
for the application of statistical analysis at high speeds, and those who wield these
algorithms are not content with letting the data speak for itself in its current form.
Interrogation of the data is the modus operandi of the machine learning aficionado,
but with enough of a statistical understanding to know when one has
pushed far enough, and when the answers provided are not to be trusted.
You would need to have a knowledge of Statistics, Algebra & calculus and Programming
skills like Python, C++, or some other general-purpose language.
Besides, you also need to have an understanding of the inner workings of an arsenal
of machine learning algorithms.
Data Scientist
The data management professional and data engineer were concerned with the infrastructure which houses the data. The business analytics professional is concerned with pulling facts from the data as it exists. While the machine learning researcher is concerned with advancing and employing the tools available to leverage data for predictive and correlative
capabilities, the data scientist is con erned
primarily with the data, and the stories it can tell, regardless of what technologies or tools are needed to carry out that task. You may use any of the technologies knowing how to get a Hadoop ecosystem up and running; how to execute queries
against the data stored within; how to extract data and house in a non-relational database; how to take that non-relational data and extract it to a flat file; how to wrangle that data in R or Python; how to engineer features after some initial exploratory descriptive analysis; how to select an appropriate machine learning algorithm to perform some predictive analytics on the data; how to statistically analyze the results of said predictive task;
how to visualize the results for easy consumption by non-technical folks. Key technologies and skills to focus on are Statistics, and Programming languages like Python, R, SQL and also data visualization.
Cyber Security Testing
The demonetization and the cashless economy initiative by the Modi Government has led to a spurt of jobs in the Cyber Security testing. For instance, in the launch of the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), many people at a New Delhi company slogged it out, spending sleepless nights to ensure that the app was safe and that the security loopholes were plugged before it went live. There is no one true path to working in cyber security. People come at it from all angles – math, computer science, even history or philosophy. As an ideal cyber security candidate, you need to have a mixture of technical and soft skills. On the technical side, you should be grounded in IT fundamentals: e.g. networking, systems administration, database management, web applications, etc. and also versed in day-to-day operations: e.g. physical security, networks, server equipment, enterprise storage, users, applications, etc.
Quality Assurance- from manual to automation:
The QA processes have become more automated. IT-Giant Infosys has already made an announcement of reducing jobs through automation. Now the question is- Would it decimate middle class manual testing jobs? Well, yes and no. While it may rob the engineers of their jobs involving manual testing that involves rote procedures and manual inputs, it also paves the way for next generation Intelligent Process Automation technology to drive greater savings and efficiency. For those of you who wish to upgrade their kills from manual to automation testing, you should choose either Selenium or QTP. QTP is a paid tool while Selenium is an open source tool. QTP supports the VB Scripts while Selenium supports all the major programming languages like Java, C#, Ruby, Perl, PHP etc.
What are employers looking for?
Harjot Singh, CTO, Tec Mutants, an emerging software development company in Ludhiana says,”The IT field offers more latitude than longitude. A Computer
Science degree with foc s on programming mlanguage is not enough anymore. What is required is the knowledge of basic programming like C# but also an upskilling of latitudinal platforms like AI, Big Data and Automation. Today, while hiring, we look for candidates not only with a Computer Science degree but also, with a degree in Maths or Statistics”. So, step up and tune in to the changing face of Information Technology to move along with the tides of Technology.
For queries contact gauri_nagpal @yahoo.com

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