Your top options for future-proofing your career in 2023

You can future-proof your career in 2023 by learning a new skill.

We all experienced some kind of issues with work over the past three years and it is therefore important to take steps to ensure you will still be employable in the coming years.

Future-proofing your career means acquiring skills that most employers want in their organisations now and well into the future and this includes certain digital skills. Every industry has been impacted by digitisation and soon there will be no career path that does not require some form of digital skill.

Matriculants are eagerly waiting for their results, while countless job seekers want to accelerate their careers and thousands of unemployed youths are desperate for new ways to upskill themselves. The good news is that new and promising developments are happening in the technology and digital economy, creating more career opportunities than ever before.

“The only way to break into a lucrative and promising career in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector is to learn the skills that are most sought after by the tech firms leading the digitisation of the global economy,” Divesh Sooka, general manager at ALX, a technology training provider and a division of the global youth skills company Africa Leadership Group (ALG), says.

He points out that demand is skyrocketing in skills areas, such as software engineering, data science and analysis, as well as cloud computing and says the faster young people can access high quality training, the faster they can get jobs and ensure that emerging economies in Africa, such as South Africa, can compete in global markets for ICT.

ALSO READ: Students must think twice before committing to study debt

University or a short course?

“Specialised and focused skills that bridge the gap between universities and apprenticeships are critical and desperately needed. Our intense and rigorous courses, for example, require no previous experience and focus on practical outcomes rather than just theoretical understanding, giving youth access to world-class courses of Silicon Valley standards.”

Digital skills can help to create opportunities for you in a wide variety of industries, providing job opportunities and equipping the youth with essential skills for the future digital workplace, while providing a lasting solution to the global technology talent shortage.

Sooka says matriculants and mid-career professionals should consider these five careers in the digital space:

Software engineering

Here you learn to create and manipulate the building blocks that create the digital platforms we use to operate computers, mobile devices and other technology.

These skills are the basics of designing and operating software that powers everything from video games and mobile apps to aviation systems and missions to the moon.

ALSO READ: These are the places and jobs attracting South Africa’s middle class

Data analysis

Data analysis is the processing of information in a way that helps organisations solve complex problems in their systems and operations. Data analysis is one of the most sought-after skills in the global labour market.

Data science

Just like data analysis, data science is about the processing of information to solve problems in complex systems, such as running a business or an organisation.

Data science delves into the systems and platforms created to aid in the analysis of data, including the mathematical processes involved in data analysis. These skills offer you a pipeline to a promising, high-earning career.

ALSO READ: End the back to work blues: Here’s how to revive the spark for your job

AWS Cloud practitioner

A cloud practitioner is a technician who is well versed in cloud computing that helps companies use a cloud computing platform according to its specific needs. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the widest used cloud services in the world. The growing demand for cloud storage and computing services around the world has made this a high-demand area for skilled professionals, especially cloud practitioners.

Salesforce administrator

Salesforce administrators solve business problems by defining system requirements and customising the Salesforce platform for users of the software. These skills teach you how to make salesforce work best for the specific company that uses it.

Sooka says global industry players in the digital and tech industries are looking to Africa as an emerging hotspot for skilled digital talent.