IT jobs such as Software Developers, Computer Network Professionals, System Analysts, and Application Programmers have appeared in every Critical Occupation List (COL) since 2015.
The COL, published by Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA) and TalentCorp Malaysia, shows occupations that are skilled, sought-after, and strategic across 18 sectors in Malaysia.
It also identifies shortages in occupations that are sought-after by employers. Occupations such as for Mathematicians Actuaries & Statisticians (with job titles such as data analysts, data scientists and big data analysts) point to a shift in Malaysia’s needs towards jobs required to meet Industrial Revolution 4.0.
In the News Straits Times newspaper article titled ‘Jobs of the future: Top five emerging careers’, Geh Thuan Hooi, The Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management human resource adviser had said “With the advent of Industry 4.0 where artificial intelligence (AI) will replace many present jobs, anything related to data analytics, information technology and robotics are good fields to venture into”.
He also said that, “Jobs requiring a high sense of creativity and decisiveness will be much sought after. Those with a strong mind-set, who are persistent and not afraid to fail, as well as team players will make it in the future”.
Moreover, Malaysia’s top five emerging jobs were all related to the tech industry as reported by LinkedIn in its report titled 2019 Emerging Jobs in Malaysia.
It analysed “millions” of job titles by LinkedIn users in Malaysia in 2013 and 2017 and then grouped them into common job roles and counted how frequently a particular job role appeared in 2013 versus 2017.
The report identified five future jobs in Malaysia which are Data Scientist, Full Stack Engineer, Drive Test Engineer, User Experience (UX) designer and Content Writer.
Knowing what the market demands now and in the coming couple of years, will help you upskill to remain relevant in the workforce.
Here are the 5 jobs identified by LinkedIn:
Data Scientist
Data Scientists analyse and interpret data of a business. They can help local companies innovate with data and build Malaysia into a global hub for data analytics.
Full Stack Engineer
Some might argue that a full stack engineer is quite similar to a UX designer. However at the core, a UX designer might not even touch a single line of code. A full stack engineer on the other hand has the skills to convert processes and design ideas into functional applications.
He or she helps businesses to go digital from start to finish, including creating apps and websites. Increasingly it is expected of them to have soft skills to facilitate communication and project management.
Drive Test Engineer
For drive test engineers, the emergence of mobile and broadband is increasing their demand in the market. Companies need help to troubleshoot problems and improve network coverage based on the data gathered from telco networks.
UX Designer
As many businesses move their operation online, UX designers will fulfill business needs to develop processes, and in many cases layouts, for applications. UX designers need to be up to date on the latest user behaviors and optimise applications for a great user experience.
Content Writer
The popularity of social media is great for content writers as they can use their journalism and publishing backgrounds to create compelling and engaging content.
To conclude, keep yourself updated on the latest market developments and the skills that are in demand to stay releveant for your current or potential employers.
Remember, the tech world is constantly evolving. What is in demand today, might no longer be needed tomorrow. Therefore one of the key skills you want to nurture is your constant ability to learn and adapt to changing circumstances.