7 lesser-known but highly rewarding tech roles IT students and professionals can pursue

Author by Sairaman Srinivasan, Chief Strategy Officer, Consortium for Technical Education (CTE)
 

The world is gradually transitioning into a digital era with the rapid advancement of technology, altering the way we function. As a consequence, the significance and demand for information technology have grown to a new extent. IT experts are accountable for devising, executing, and preserving technological systems and solutions that aid businesses and organizations of various natures. Whether it's software creation or network management, cybersecurity, or data interpretation, the IT industry presents a broad spectrum of career prospects for both learners and practitioners.

Highly rewarding tech roles to establish a successful career
Information Technology is constantly evolving and comes with new opportunities for students and professionals to pursue careers in tech. While roles like software engineer, developer, and network administrator are well-known, there are many lesser-known but highly rewarding tech roles that can provide lucrative careers.

Augmented Reality (AR) Developer: Augmented Reality is an exciting and innovative tool transforming how brands approach digital marketing. One of AR's main advantages in digital marketing is creating an immersive and interactive experience for users.
An AR Developer is responsible for creating interactive digital experiences of physical and virtual worlds. AR applications can be used for gaming, education, and marketing purposes that provide a more engaging and personalised experience. By using AR, brands can gain insights into customer preferences and behaviours, to improve marketing campaigns and product offerings.

UX/UI Designer: UX/UI design is essential to creating effective digital products and services by prioritising user needs and expectations, enhancing user satisfaction, increasing engagement, enhancing brand perception and improving business outcomes.
A UX/UI Designer plays a pivotal role in creating a compelling and user-friendly design that enhances the brand's reputation, increases brand loyalty, and improves business outcomes.

Blockchain Developer: Blockchain Technology is an innovative solution that increases security and improves transparency to facilitate transactions. It is a method of transmitting and storing data. The future road map for the technology looks promising.
Blockchain developers are responsible for designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining secure, efficient, and effective blockchain-based systems, building decentralised applications (dApps) where there is a need for transparency and accountability. As the technology evolves, it is expected to see more widespread adoption and innovation in years to come.

Digital Twin Engineer:  Digital Twin Engineers play a crucial role in designing, developing and maintaining digital replicas that simulate real-world conditions; this enables companies to improve operations and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Digital Twin Engineers also play a significant role in enabling companies to monitor, analyse, and optimise processes, leading to better decision-making and improved performance.
In the future, the demand for Digital Twin Engineers is expected to grow as companies increasingly adopt advanced technologies in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to achieve new levels of efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness.
 
AI Ethicist: The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have become increasingly prevalent in various industries and applications to enable innovations and improve efficiency. As AI and ML continue to evolve and increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it has to be ensured that these technologies are developed to comply with rules and regulations set by Internationally recognised bodies:-
(i) to check the applications used in these technologies are responsible and ethical and are crucial in minimising potential harm and maximising their benefits.
(ii) to check if AI and ML algorithms are vulnerable to security breaches, leading to the exposure of sensitive information or system malfunctions.
As AI becomes increasingly prevalent, the need for ethical considerations in its development and implementation grows. An AI Ethicist with a background in philosophy, ethics, computer science, or law - works with companies, governments, and other organisations and plays a crucial role in ensuring AI technologies are designed and used to align with ethical, social, and political perspectives and is developed responsibly.

Data Privacy Officer (DPO): Data privacy is essential and its prime aim is to protect personal information, maintain trust in digital systems and services, reduce the risk of data loss or breaches, and ensure that data is collected and used ethically and responsibly.
A Data Privacy Officer (DPO) is an independent advisor to the organisation's management and staff; the officer ensures that the organisation's data processing activities are carried out in accordance and are complied with data protection regulations and policies. They work to protect sensitive data and prevent breaches by implementing security measures, organising awareness training, monitoring compliance, and following best practices for data privacy.
The expansion of data protection regulations increases as more countries and regions adopt laws similar to the GDPR and CCPA; this is likely to increase the demand for Data Privacy Officers (DPO) who can help organisations recognise the value of protecting their customers' personal information and navigate these regulations and ensure compliance.
 
IoT Security Specialist:  IoT (Internet of Things) plays an important role in today's world as it connects a wide range of devices, sensors, and objects to the Internet, allowing them to communicate and share data. IoT helps to be energy-efficient, automate the process, and optimise production.
As more and more devices connect to the Internet, cybercriminals have more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to sensitive data. This can lead to financial losses and reputation damage.
By implementing appropriate security and privacy measures and staying up-to-date with relevant regulations and standards, it is possible to mitigate many of these risks; and enjoy the benefits of IoT technology.
An IoT Security Specialist is responsible for designing and implementing security solutions for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. They work to protect IoT devices and maintain security measures that protect devices from cyber threats. They analyse the data logs generated from any cyber attacks and breaches that have occurred and try to mitigate the risks and stay updated.
 
To conclude
Information technology offers many career opportunities, from software development to cybersecurity. There are lesser-known but highly rewarding tech roles like AR developer, UX/UI designer, blockchain developer, digital twin engineer, AI ethicist, data privacy officer, and IoT security specialist that provide lucrative careers. These roles play a crucial role in improving marketing campaigns, enhancing user satisfaction, building secure blockchain-based systems, improving efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness, ensuring AI technologies align with ethical and responsible perspectives, protecting personal information and preventing breaches, and securing IoT devices from cybercriminals.