Is the tech job market saturated? Sure, there are more programmers, analysts, technical support agents, and developers than ever due to great recruiting efforts and big money.

Thankfully, the tech job market isn’t just one industry. New technologies and concepts arrive that need new minds, meaning new jobs and opportunities. Older or existing tech jobs won’t shut down immediately because they’ll still be relevant, and few positions become obsolete overnight.

Consider these trends in tech to see which jobs are on the horizon. By acting now, flexible current technicians and new arrivals can seize the newest jobs with little competition and a head start in a new economy.

Edge Computing
Cloud computing has long since outlived its time as a buzzword. It’s an important concept and still relevant, but as a career path, it’s not going to amaze any recruiters or leaders. For anyone involved in networking, cloud computing knowledge is expected.

Enter edge computing, a future-facing concept that tackles challenges that the future of cloud computing will face. At the core of the discussion is latency–the delays and interruptions that wreak havoc on punctual systems across the internet.

Networking professionals are no strangers to latency, and any service that could cut latency will be a prime target as the world approaches higher demands without exponentially higher computing speeds. It’s a matter of when, not if.

Like any other system, cloud computing has a series of delays associated with how data moves through the cloud. Since cloud computing is simply networked data that the customer doesn’t directly own or maintain, the latency comes from distant networks that the customer can’t control.

The main point behind edge computing is to cut cloud computing out of the picture. This means adding edge devices that can handle as much of the heavy lifting as possible without sending huge chunks of data through the cloud.

In some cases, this means nothing more than adding modernized, but standard servers on the edge of a cloud computing system. Network engineers and developers will work together to figure out what data needs to be handled on edge, what data can be passed across the cloud to reduce the cost of edge services, and how to keep the system scalable.

Scale can mean making edge devices as lean as possible or overloading edge servers with a smarter way of activating and deactivating services. In this new economy, the best edge tweak could come from professionals who start their careers today.

The Cybersecurity War Rages On
War never changes. Although the techniques and faces have changed, the battle of security experts versus hackers has remained fairly constant.

Cybersecurity professionals are in short supply because the new age of technology wasn’t quite what previous generations promised. There is an opportunity for more young minds to learn technical skills and live in technology as easily as they put on clothes, but many smartphone-powered young professionals still lack strong system security.

In short, more people know how to use tech quickly and efficiently, but troubleshooting and protecting their assets is still a problem. Adding to the problem, the same boost in potential tech learning has empowered a new generation–and a bigger population–of hostile hackers.

For aspiring technicians with any technical skill and even a remote inclination to remove virus, scan systems for exploits, or a desire to take the battle to hostile hackers, the cybersecurity world is wide open. Both business and individuals need multiple services from security-minded experts.

Ransomware and identity theft are two of the biggest threats on the internet and are often powered by several other threats. Cybersecurity professionals are needed to harden systems against attacks, train non-technical personnel in best practices that they won’t research on their own, and clean up the damage after major attacks.

To make this year a year of high-tech change and career success, contact a tech career professional to discuss other amazing options in the computing economy.