Post-Covid, all of us have a lot of inhibitions towards the future — especially IT sector employees, as well as aspirants, who must perennially update their skill-sets. A recession, as most understand, is a contraction in jobs due to fewer economic activities. IT employees and students toil hard to creat distinctiveness in their profile to stand apart.

In such a scenario, imagine there exists a job that is immune to recession. Think about the sense of relief and stability that must instill in the employees and aspirants.

Calibrated future is better than an unforeseeable future, therefore, it is important to know the top five recession-resistant skill-sets that will help the aspirants to pause, ponder, and plan their learning and upskilling journey.

Cybersecurity

With the exuberance of data, organisations are vulnerable to cybercrime which propels the need to have more cybersecurity experts and professionals. As per the recent report published by Information System Audit and Control Association, 60 per cent of Indian organisations have cybersecurity positions vacant due to a lack of experts and professionals.

Having expertise and certification in cyber security will be promising in the times to come as it is in high demand and organisations will continue to headhunt experts in this field. Students who have successfully completed cyber security courses and are currently working in the IT Industry believe that such programmes provide them a chance for career progression.

Data science

Companies around the world are in need of data-driven decision-making. An incredible demand for data scientists is making the profession highly lucrative. Roles such as data analytics, big data engineers, and data architects are coming up.

This field has a low entry barrier and a high salary structure which makes it all the more alluring for aspirants. As per Glassdoor statistics, the average base pay of a data scientist in India is around ₹10,00,000 per year. Such programmes require logical reasoning and strong programming skills along with good knowledge of mathematics and statistics.

AI and ML

The exponential momentum gained by AI and ML is attributed to scaling technology investments, fast penetration of the internet, and highly equipped digital infrastructure. As per International Data Corporation, the AI software market in India will have a CAGR of 20.2 per cent from 2020 to 2025. Since there are so many job opportunities in the AI industry, one can take on a range of responsibilities depending on the role, qualifications, and interests.

Those interested in pursuing careers in artificial intelligence should have a knowledge of math, science, computer, and data competence. Once I asked a cohort of AI/ML in which most of the learners were from non-computing backgrounds to discuss the challenges that they face in learning such courses and surprisingly the answer was: “None. More than a challenge it was a great chance to learn.”

Therefore, if you are from a non-computing background and think AI/ML is not manageable, you need to rethink.

Programming

Every IT job role involves some form of programming, and the broad knowledge of programmers equips them with the flexibility, adaptability, and agility which is needed to work on software solutions. The growing demand for full stack developers manifests that organisation needs front and back-end frameworks to be independently handled by a single solution specialist.

Full-stack developer demonstrates adaptability and exceptional IT skills, and it has grown in popularity and demand across the globe. Effective full-stack learning programmes give a thorough understanding of the world of coding while also providing knowledge that will better position an aspirant to pick up new technologies as they become available.

Cloud computing

Due to the strong demand for jobs related to cloud computing, the cloud industry is unquestionably recession-proof, and investing in digital skills is more important than ever. As most of the work is in the cloud environment, heavy investment in the technology and adoption is on the spree, thereby creating a lot of job requirements.

To modernise environments, enhance system stability, and accommodate hybrid work styles, businesses are quickly shifting to the cloud. Cloud is the next frontier of cloud computing and cloud uniquity will prevail for a longer period.

The right time and the right programme govern the scope of employability. So, aim, ace, and hit the ball out of the park.

(The writer is Academic Advisor, Manipal Global Skills Academy.)