Development is far from a homogenous field; in fact, there are dozens of specialization paths that a developer can choose from today. Which of these paths are the highest in demand for 2017? Here’ are the top 10.
- Full Stack Developers. A rather all-encompassing developer type, full stack developers are coming back into vogue and commanding high salaries. Full stack developers briefly went out of trend when backend and frontend development became too complex to safely fold under a single position. But with a new emphasis on simpler, cleaner applications, full stack developers are being looked for again.
- Mobile Developers. Mobile app development is the next big thing. From entertainment apps to business collaboration systems, seemingly everything is done through smartphones and other smart devices. Mobile developers are going to remain relevant for years to come, specializing in iOS, Android and Windows operating system technologies.
- Security Engineers. Security is a major concern in the development sector. 2016 marked the first year in which security concerns were not the primary worry for those on cloud-based networks. Security developers will specialize in encryption protocols and identity services and will be up-to-date on all the modern security standards.
- Internet of Things Specialists. The Internet of Things is quickly becoming its own development field. Developers need to be able to work in very unique, closed systems, such as developing APIs for office devices and sensors. An IoT specialist will be a networking and programming specialist, with an emphasis on cross-platform languages such as Java.
- JavaScript Developers. JavaScript is still the major building block of the Internet and development environments such as Ruby remain high in demand. JavaScript developers will find themselves most competitive if they have upgraded their skills to current standards, which have changed dramatically over just the last couple of years.
- Cloud Developers. Cloud developers are experts in developing for a web-based environment in a way that takes advantage of the resources available. Cloud developers may program in many different languages; the important aspect is that they understand how to program specifically for a cloud-based environment.
- Machine Learning Experts. Machine learning and other areas of artificial intelligence have been studied for many decades, but it is only recently that they’ve become viable for many day-to-day applications. Today, machine learning experts are being called upon to use their knowledge of programming theory to develop smarter and more sophisticated algorithms.
- User Experience Experts. User experience has always been important in the field of software, but it’s become even more important that the user experience be integrated and easy to use. Developers are no longer expecting users to be able to learn their software; instead, software needs to be intelligent about the users. More is going to happen beyond the user’s knowledge so that the experience is as seamless as possible, and that’s where developers with a strong eye for design will come in.
- Data Science Developers. Data science is still incredibly important, but now the focus is on using the data as much as it is collecting it. Languages such as R are now in high demand and employers are now looking for individuals who have trained specifically in data.
- IT Project Managers. Gone are the days when developers were expected to work under a non-technical program director. Now the best developers are being promoted into project management, as it’s become essential that project managers understand the technology that is being used. IT project management has sufficiently divided itself from general project management and has become a specialization all its own.
Whatever your career path, Software Specialists can help. Software Specialists maintains a large number of job listings for developers, in addition to providing employment matchmaking services. Contact Software Specialists today for more information about the 2017 job market!