Hardest Jobs in IT

Information technology has been touted as the industrial revolution that will live forever. Since the inception of the first computer to the launch of the world wide web, tech has done nothing but grow and evolve to meet the needs of the world. Think about it. We wanted a way to keep in touch with friends and family; we created social media platforms. We wanted to keep abreast of professional developments and create networks; LinkedIn was afoot. These are simple and relatable examples, to speak nothing of the advances made in education, health, transportation among other industries, have appeared thanks to technology.

In any city or country, all over the world, IT has become widespread and integrated in our everyday life. We communicate, work and sadly, though, some even live there.

Some aspects of IT have evolved so fast and futuristically, that its workforce has failed to keep up adequately. Below are some of the hardest and consequently, inadequately staffed jobs in IT.

Cloud Integration

This is an aspect that has gained the highest demand in the IT labor force market. Every company that is serious about cost efficiency and effective growth has looked into cloud computing and storage. Large and small enterprises alike are transitioning from on-site storage to cloud computing. To stay ahead and cut-throat of their competition and industry, they need to leverage on the boundless opportunities available in cloud computing. However, finding skilled technicians and cloud engineers to oversee the transition, deployment, and integration to cloud computing is proving as tedious as the process itself. Hence why it has gained its elite status in the computing world. Cloud integrators are paid highly in this regards ($70,901 – $163,013 annually).

Artificial Intelligence

We all love Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, and while the movie was shot in 1990s, it was one futuristic description of what to expect with Artificial Intelligence. The ability to transfer knowledge and intelligence to inanimate objects such as computers and robots is outstanding and one of our greatest accomplishments yet. However, the talent required to build, maintain and monitor Artificial Intelligence is in dire supply. Any IT professional with even an inkling of training and skill in AI is one of the most sought-after employees, to say nothing of those that possess advanced skills. AI promises to transform whole industries and increase efficiency in businesses and social constructs alike, thus making it one of the most desired aspects of IT. While acquiring the required skills would be tantamount to swimming across 8 oceans, the results are astonishingly rewarding and long-term as the AI professionals earn an annual salary that ranges from $105,000 to $ 152,000.

Business Intelligence and Analytics

We lived in an extremely connected and advanced world. Knowledge and information is the most bountiful resource after oxygen and Benedict Cumberbatch’s acting prowess. This has led to faster growth of economies and their people, free access to education and empowering information that has accelerated and improved so many lives. In business, this is replicated across industries, where knowledge sharing is the highest it has ever been. Access to customers’ preferences, views and perceptions can be captured within minutes. The catch, however, is finding skilled professionals to comb through these gargantuan volumes of data and information to glean insights that will be useful to business growth and sustainability. These analysts are few and far in between. It grants one an opportunity to secure a wage from $107,000 to $137,000 yearly.

Security and Risk Management

Yes, even the digital space needs an army too. Cybersecurity is a hot topic in IT and for very grave reasons. IT and all its signs and wonders may have explicably improved human life and interaction, but it also opened us unforeseen and immeasurable risk. Fraud and crime that have been committed on digital platforms have been unprecedented and it expects high rise in the years to come. Almost all companies that rely heavily on technology have experienced one breach or another, some are fatal enough to collapse the business. This is also a very crucial issue for companies that deal with sensitive customer data like banks, mobile money service providers, and online markets. The recent GDPR regulations promise to address a few of the issues, but on a very small scale. Cybersecurity is one of the hardest and crucial jobs in IT, yet with one of the lowest labor forces. As IT pundits like to put it, everyone has experienced a breach in their systems, they just haven’t found it yet. That kind of exposure can prove disastrous for any business. Due to the technical task in this field, the professional’s annual salary is estimated to be $98,757.

Application Development

Odds are that your favorite pizza company has an app. Your company probably has an app or one in the pipeline. Heck, even Kim Kardashian has an app with 10 million downloads on Play Store (and counting). Application development is one of the hottest jobs in IT right now. Look anywhere and you will most certainly see a need for an app. Your local beauty spa is booming; they will need an app to keep their customers informed on all the offers and clinch some new ones. Apps are revolutionary in nature and hand lay users access to their favorite things. Look at what Uber did to the transportation industry or Instagram to the modeling industry. App developers are the most sought-after geeks in this industry because they have top-notch skills specific to app development. Understanding the needs of a business or a social revolution, breaking down its facets into code before finally deploying an application that will conclusively cater to all the required needs is no small feat. This will probably remain on this list for a long time with app developers garnering a huge wage yearly estimated to be from $107,000 to $144,000.

Conclusion

This list of IT jobs is by far inconclusive. There are jobs that we may deem simpler, like web and system development, yet they too have difficult and strenuous aspects to them. If any of the jobs listed here tickle your fancy, do not lose hope because of the technicality involved around them. Buckle down, put in the work and anticipate the rewards. Our sweetest fruits come from the soil we toiled hardest on. The world is yours for the taking. Just set the goal and grab the change!