Benefits of technology careers

Growth prospects

More than 70% of European companies state that the lack of personnel with adequate digital skills is an obstacle to being able to make investments. The number of ICT specialists in the EU grew by 50.5% from 2012 to 2021, almost 8 times more than the increase (6.3%) in total employment.

This shows that having the digital skills required for the technology sector is, without a doubt, a guarantee of employability. Employment that is also usually accompanied by salaries that are often above the average.

According to the United States Office of Labor Statistics, the technology sector is expected to grow by up to 13% between 2020 and 2030, which would be faster than the average growth of all occupations. The high demand for technology workers is largely due to the fact that it is increasingly important to take into account information security, the collection and storage of large volumes of data, and cloud computing.

Good salary

Technology careers are often associated with very well-paid jobs due to the high demand to fill vacancies. Software engineers, UX designers, digital vendors and other qualified positions are so necessary that many organisations have to pay a lot of money to fill these positions with skilled and talented people.

As a result, it is not uncommon for people entering the technology field to receive offers with starting salaries in excess of $40,000.

In fact, in addition to above average growth, the Office of Labor Statistics notes that the average annual salary of computing and IT jobs was $91,250 in May 2020; that is more than twice the average annual salary of all fields ($41,950).

Unemployment-proof

Back in Europe, over the last decade, the number of people employed as ICT specialists in the EU has generally resisted the effects of the global financial and economic crisis, and the recession experienced in many labour markets. As a result, the proportion of ICT specialists in all jobs rose by 1.3 percentage points, from 3.2% in 2012 to 4.5% in 2021.

Among its objectives, the European Union wants to improve the digital skills and competences of Europeans, since these advanced digital skills are essential not only for the most purely technological jobs, but also for areas as diverse as digital marketing and social media.

Moreover, the need for digital skills at work is only going to go up. Because of this, if more Europeans have solid digital skills, Europe will not only be more competitive in the digital world, but EU leaders assert that it will help to have a more egalitarian society.

Among the EU Member States, the highest percentages of ICT specialists with a higher level of education were recorded in Lithuania, Cyprus, Spain, Ireland and France, with more than four out of five people having achieved this level of education in 2021. Most ICT specialists had reached a tertiary level of education in all EU Member States except one, with that exception being Italy (41.3%).

Admired companies

One of the main reasons for majoring in technological studies is to be part of the economic and social transformation we are going through. The technology sector is shaping what the future will be like, at the personal, professional and societal levels.

It is not surprising, therefore, that if one looks at the list of the world's most admired companies, the top three are all technology firms.

Flexibility

What's more, technology companies are often pioneers in terms of employee well-being.

One of the things that became evident during the pandemic is that these companies were the best prepared to institute flexible working hours (and locations), prioritising having the work done and delivered on time. In fact, there are jobs and schedules in the technology industry where employees don't need to be in the office at all.

In general, jobs in the technology industry are popular because the industry has always encouraged informal environments. In addition to letting employees dress as they like, tech offices are known to offer a welcoming, relaxed and casual environment. It is not unusual to find armchairs, hammocks, stability balls and even ping-pong tables in the offices of a technology company. Normally, the mindset in the technology sector is that happy and comfortable employees are more productive.

Normally, the mindset in the technology sector is that happy and comfortable employees are more productive.