Part 2: So, is tech for me?

Job market outlook

SO, IS TECH FOR ME?

IT’S GROWING – AND FAST

The proverbial job market can be a pretty terrifying place, especially when you’re just starting out. Fortunately, a growing market is infinitely better than one that isn’t. The tech market is growing so rapidly that Australian universities are finding it difficult to keep up the supply of tech graduates to fill the available roles.

The proof is in the numbers. In 2014, 600,000 people comprised the tech workforce in Australia. In 2016, this figure increased to 640,000. According to professional services bigwigs like Deloitte (incidentally a large and prestigious employer of tech graduates themselves), this number is expected to reach as high as 722,000 by 2022. A reason for this growth is the prevalence of technology not just in the average consumer’s life but also in the operations of most businesses. Think of the last time you physically went to a bank; where’s the need when you have an app that can do everything for you? Just as businesses are digitising how they interact with their customers, they are also digitising how they operate internally. This has resulted in an increasing demand for technical skills across all industries.

In fact, according to Deloitte’s Australia’s Digital Pulse report, 52 per cent of today’s tech workforce are employed outside strictly tech-related industries.

LINKEDIN REVELATIONS ON AUSTRALIA’S TECHNOLOGY JOB MARKET LANDSCAPE

LinkedIn, which is incidentally another excellent digital tool, is especially useful for finding the available jobs and required skills in any particular workforce. Deloitte’s report referred to the following lists from LinkedIn out Australia’s tech workers and job postings. We’ve pulled out some key takeaways from each list.

Most common areas studied by tech workers:

■ computer science ■ information science and technology ■ accounting ■ electrical engineering ■ business ■ business management and administration ■ marketing ■ electronics ■ software engineering ■ project management

Insight: While technical knowledge remains vital, especially for jobs that require a high level of technical skill, employers are also looking to hire graduates from other disciplines, often ones that cover business and operations management and foster strategic thinking.

Industries with the largest share of tech job postings:

■ information and technology services ■ computer software ■ internet ■ financial services ■ electrical and electronic manufacturing ■ staffing and recruiting ■ computer networking ■ information services ■ computer hardware ■ marketing and advertising

Insight. This list confirms that tech graduates are and will continue to be in-demand across a broad range of industries, not just specific to tech. Companies that offer financial and professional services like banks, financial consultants and accounting firms are quickly becoming major recruiters of the tech workforce.

Tech occupations with the most job postings:

■ project manager ■ business analyst ■ business development manager ■ freelance foreign language content contributor ■ net developer ■ account manager ■ software engineer ■ solution architect ■ java developer ■ front-end developer, electrical and electronic manufacturing ■ staffing and recruiting ■ computer networking ■ information services ■ computer hardware ■ marketing and advertising

Insight: This list is mostly made up of technical roles, but there is definitely a representation of non-technical roles as well. Business development is related to sales and the acquisition of new customers, and roles like project management and account management, could also sit outside the technical realm and involve servicing clients.

TECH WORKFORCE DEMOGRAPHICS IN AUSTRALIA

When a country adjusts its immigration policies to attract workers into certain kinds of jobs, you know they mean business. According to the Deloitte report, immigrants represented three per cent of the tech workforce between 2015 and 2016. This is yet another reason to be excited about stepping into tech in Australia. It is a cosmopolitan melting pot, which gives you an invaluable opportunity to learn from peers of different cultural and professional backgrounds. It also means that you can take your skills to any part of the globe and be able to find work.

That’s the beauty of technology unlike certain disciplines like law, which requires country- or region-specific knowledge. Other jobs may also require fluency in the language of the country where you work. On the other hand, the languages of technology are in-demand worldwide without the need for translation.

The Australian government and businesses are also showing increased efforts to encourage and attract women as well as older workers into an industry

that has typically been dominated by young men. The importance of being more inclusive has been recognised at the highest levels, as this is a field that can only benefit from different perspectives and a wider range of skills. Ladies, these incentivisation efforts could translate into a higher-than average paycheck as well as better benefits.

You may have heard that tech companies are notorious for their high rate of employee turnover, and you wouldn’t be wrong. The culture of staying at one job indefinitely is virtually unheard of in tech, which is especially well-known for attracting younger employees. The younger the employee, the hungrier they are to be a part of the next big thing. This happens regardless of whether they begin their careers at a startup or at one of the Big Five: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. It may surprise (and relieve) you that this is not necessarily a bad thing. When you consider the unique nature of this field, where innovative and creative thinking is absolutely crucial, this constant flux of people, skills and perspectives actually works in its favour. It also places pressure on employers to create positive and engaging workplace communities and cultures to retain their most valuable asset; superstars like you.

You now know a little bit more about the frenetic, competitive arena that is the tech job market. It’s time to delve a little deeper. What kind of skills do you need to snag that dream-career-launching job? What are the ins and outs of the industry that you should prepare yourself for? What sort of salary can you expect to get from your first role?

Keep reading and find out!