Looking to the future: New jobs popping up for developers in the coming years

From 2013 to 2023, the number of ICT specialists in the EU increased by 59.3% according to Eurostat. In that period, most of these tech workers were found in Germany, which provided employment for 21.5% of the EU’s ICT specialists—unsurprising when you consider the fact that the country is home to a myriad of high-tech companies and organisations such as SAP, Siemens, Bosch, and Audi.

France had the second largest share at 13.8%, with Italy and Spain representing 9.9% and 9.6% respectively. While the demand for tech workers is increasing, this is happening in tandem with a worsening skills gap.

5 software roles to apply for now

Labour market challenges

2024 data from Eurostat shows that 57.5% of EU businesses just can’t recruit necessary ICT talent, and that the gap between labour demand and actual employment has grown by 20% in the past ten years. Large companies aren’t faring much better with 68% unable to fill all their open tech roles.

The skills gap looks set to worsen as new technologies open up demand for emerging job roles.

Additionally, universities and learning institutions often can’t keep up with ever-changing technology requirements. The length of many higher education courses means that qualified tech talent is often in a pipeline that is simply too long for wider hiring needs.

The European Commission is highly aware of its ongoing skills gap issue and the threat that this poses for economic expansion. It is seeking to address it with a series of measures which include up- and reskilling needs, improving labour and skill forecasting and addressing individual and structural barriers to labour market participation, for example.

The recent Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified 15 of the fastest-growing job titles by 2030. These are highly tech focused and include big data specialists, fintech engineers, AI and ML specialists, plus software and applications developers. Security management specialists, data warehousing specialists, UI and UX designers, IoT specialists, data analysts, information security analysts, and DevOps engineering roles will also increase.

New opportunities for software devs

For software developers in particular, emerging technologies are set to significantly impact their skillsets and career trajectories this year and beyond.

Think of the continued expansion of artificial intelligence and machine learning as one key area of growth. Additionally, low-code/no-code platforms, cloud-native development, edge computing, DevSecOps, quantum computing, natural language processing (NLP), and robotic process automation (RPA) are more technologies software developers may need to get to grips with.

The WEF says that “Three technologies in particular are set to have the biggest impact: robots and automation, energy generation and storage technology, and AI and information processing.”

It found that 86% of leaders expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030. That will lead to a rise in the jobs available and the skills required, which may prompt the rise of focused roles such as generative AI engineer, AI ethicist, prompt engineer, remote AI training specialist, robotics software engineer, AI product manager and business intelligence developer with AI focus.

Quantum computing is also a rapidly emerging field and as it continues to advance, a variety of new job titles are likely to emerge, reflecting the unique skills and expertise required in this cutting-edge field.

Think roles for quantum optimisation engineers, quantum algorithm developers, quantum software engineers, and application specialists, for example. Roles could also develop for quantum error correction specialists, quantum machine learning scientists, quantum health researchers, quantum data scientists, and quantum sensing engineers.

Upskilling for the future

Skill gaps represent opportunities for software engineers with the right skills. However, keeping up with an ever-changing industry can be daunting. Developers who want to stay ahead of emerging technologies and job titles over the next five years can adopt several strategies.

Continuous learning and upskilling is a key aspect to focus on. Online courses, certifications and bootcamps, and coding workshops can all hone and develop your skills. Platforms like Coursera, edX, or Pluralsight can be used to develop skills that are focused on specific technologies such as low-code/no-code development, or AI frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, for example.

If you aren’t getting the experience you’d like within your current work environment, think about developing personal projects using new technologies. This will give you valuable hands-on experience, and could involve creating applications with AI capabilities or exploring quantum computing simulations.

You can also contribute to or collaborate on open-source projects to apply new skills in real-world scenarios, while gaining visibility within the developer community. Keep your curiosity going by joining relevant professional networks, both on and offline.

Conferences and meetups are another rich resource to mine, and you can be among the first to learn about the latest trends, as well as network with your peers.

Lastly, think about how you can make yourself the most employable you’ve ever been by identifying and then focusing on niche skills. Generative AI, ethical AI practices, or quantum algorithm development are just some to look at. Exploring how emergent technologies can intersect with other industries can also significantly broaden your career opportunities.

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