According to a Buffer survey, 99% of the respondents said they would like to work from home, and most of us can totally relate to this. Working remotely means you are the “owner” of your own time; you get to spend more time with your family, and you can do your tasks from a more comfortable setting. However, not all kinds of jobs are suitable for this working model. That’s why you may be considering a career shift and looking into tech for a job that can be done remotely.
Breaking into tech is a recommended move, especially considering the future expansion of the industry. It is reported that 25% of American jobs are at risk of being replaced by automated tools or robots. According to this report, other industries will have lesser roles to fill in the future, while the artificial intelligence area will only thrive and generate more jobs. This goes to show that tech skills are more in-demand than ever today.
Remote Tech Jobs
The current pandemic has taken the world by storm and shifted the work dynamics for most people across the globe. It has also shown some insight into the types of tech jobs that can still be done remotely. According to a study made through the Google Forms database, companies are still looking to hire amid the COVID-19 lockdown for remote positions in software development, digital design, and digital marketing, among others. Below are some of the most sought-after tech skills that you can venture into.
Software Engineering
The software engineering field involves using engineering technology for the development of digital products such as apps or software. The importance of this field is highly recognized across all industries. In fact, a 2018 Stripe and Harris Poll report revealed that 70% of senior executives believe their company’s sales success relies on its software developer’s work.
Software developers work with several programming languages such as HTML, Java, or Python. This profession has two main branches; front end and back end development. The former mainly manages the visual aspects, while the latter work with the functionality of the software. There is also a job that combines both responsibilities called full stack development, but it is not as common. A software engineer’s estimated salary can vary from $88,000 to $108,000 annually.
You can learn the necessary skills by getting a bachelor’s degree in computer science or by enrolling in a top-notch coding bootcamp. Bootcamps have become very popular these days because they offer up-to-date education and they’re very focused on securing a job for their graduates. Here are some of the best coding bootcamps you can find. Flatiron School, for instance, has great curricula and flexible payment plans—you can choose to pay up-front, a deferred tuition plan, month-to-month installments, or loan financing.
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Designers
UX and UI designs are both functional design skills meant to create a seamless experience for users. While UX focuses on functionality, UI works with a product’s interface and its interaction with users.
UX designers conduct surveys, research, and analysis to spot errors that could affect a user’s satisfaction. By doing so, they can come up with better strategies to provide a better, more user-friendly experience. When you think of design in general, you’d probably think about an artistic approach, but with UX design, it’s more of a functionality matter.
This is a great position for a remote working model considering most times you’ll be working on digital products such as websites, software, and apps. It is recommended that you learn the necessary skills and work on your own digital product, as it can help demonstrate your proficiency to future employers. UX and UI designers can make between $80,000 to $104,000 annually, depending on companies and experience.
If you’re looking for a great school to pick up UX and UI skills, Kenzie Academy is one of the best options. The school offers a specialized front end plan where you can learn everything you need to know about user design in visuals. At the Academy, you can pay the tuition fee upfront or you can also pay $100 first, and settle the rest once you land a job that pays over $40,000 a year.
Data Science
Data scientists are individuals who analyze data sets to solve a specific problem across all industries — business, science, physics, or even medicine. Data science exists across sectors because it helps identify patterns, study the behavior of any phenomenon, and forecast situations or trends.
Data scientists collect information from different sources like weblogs or data storage. They can also check the data set of a company to make sure everything’s organized and consistent. Even though there’s an error margin for data scientists, they still have essential skills that companies can use in their favor. This job can be done completely remotely and will continue to be in-demand for the foreseeable future. A data scientist can bring home up to $120,000 annually.
Where can you learn the skills needed to become a data scientist? Galvanize’s Remote Data Science Immersive Bootcamp is a complete course where you can learn skills such as machine learning, data visualization, statistics, and Python-based data organization.
Mobile Development
A mobile developer is someone who creates apps and mobile tools. Depending on the system you’ll be working on, mobile developers mainly use Java (for Android) and Swift (for iOS). Previously, iOS developers used to work with Objective-C, but this was a very complicated programming language, so Apple came up with the latest one called Swift in 2014, which has a more intuitive dynamics.
This profession is highly sought after because a company can benefit a lot from having its own application. Not only it boosts user engagement, but it also allows the brand to create more personalized content for users. Considering most smartphone users spend a significant amount of time using mobile apps, it makes perfect sense that brands would use this platform to increase their accessibility. As a reward for making this happen, a mobile developer earns a handsome amount of up to $88,000 annually.
When it comes to mobile development, there’s a great school called General Assembly which provides an in-depth course that teaches you all the relevant skills to become a pro developer.
Conclusion
Learning a new tech skill is going to significantly boost your career. You just need to find the best one that fits your needs and preferences. There are many boot camps with adaptive education that allow you to study online or at their facilities. Try to familiarize yourself with all aspects of your field of interest before applying for any course or degree, so you can truly understand what your day-to-day job will entail.
