The crisis in the Indian economy is affecting each and every sector. The Information Technology (IT) industry is also not an exception. To be precise, the senior employees (in their 40s) are the ones who are feeling the maximum heat. More often than not, the senior pros are unable to keep pace with the rapidly changing technology trends due to Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Automation.
Emerging technology poses a big threat to jobs and companies. It can force companies to rationalize the workforce and even finish certain jobs. Paying more to freshers with new-age skills, re-skilling middle-level workers and retiring senior employees early show IT companies are grappling with the challenges posed by the emerging technology. 40,000 middle-level IT professionals in India may lose their jobs in a year.
Last but not the least, software developers and programmers go through a prolonged state of intense stress, accompanied by a perceived feeling of lack of control. After years, the case of burnout is quite common. Read more about programmer burnout.
For the folks, who are unable (or slow) to up-skill / re-skill or feeling burnout, considering the alternative career options is critical. In this post, we will look at the top alternative careers for IT and Software professionals in India.
Top Alternative Careers for IT and Software Professionals in India
Co-authored by Parinita Gupta
India soon going to be the world’s 5th largest economy produces 17 million new candidates in the Indian workforce, whereas creating only 5.5 million jobs per year. Well, on a positive note the Internet of Things (IoT) &transmission of few of the human decision-making capabilities to robots and machines will surely bring speculative changes in the IT world and by far, globally. However, this will also significantly require low skilled software and IT professionals to scale up, acquire more essential skills to be updated with the tech initiatives.
So, while cutting off on the percentage workforce in the IT world is surely putting a potential threat to all IT and software workers, we could also find a tremendous scope on the other side. There are new doors and opportunities opening randomly for conventional career-seekers. To make it more exciting, we would discuss a few of the prospective seats in the IT theatre that may easily give you a jolt or might even take you off!!
1. Project Management
If you have already worked in Project Management, and have recently suffered a layoff, there is something better you can readily explore. Getting a power-booster Project Management Certification of a Six Sigma Green Belt, PRINCE2 or Certified Scrum Master, you may work as a Project Management Specialist for some of the globally listed companies.
2. Risk Management
Being a CGEIT or a Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT, you may get into off-the-beaten-track IT professions like IT Risk Leader, Risk Management Officer or an Assistant IT Controller. Accredited by ISACA, this certification makes you eligible and competent to work as a strong pillar for any organization ensuring that any IT investment supports the business goals.
3. App Development
With e-commerce at its summit, and almost all the commercial bodies finding a place in the digital corridor to their consumer’s most private space, app-development is undoubtedly flying high. The App development segments into Android and iOS operating systems based on advanced programming on Objective-C, C++, Swift, Python, Kotlin or Java. You will surely need to be creative and understand the business goals of your respective clients.
4. IT Blogging or Technical Writing
Blogs are real resources nowadays to market one’s products, increase readership and potentially engage customers by giving them new reasons to read. With regular and creative writing techniques, exciting subjects you can make real money. With people going crazy about the latest technology, tablets, smartphones, new geeks and gadgets, technical blogs are becoming a grand success.
Out of the most successful names in Tech blogs, few are The Business Insider, The Verge, TechCrunch, CNET, Engadget, GeekWire, Wired, HackerNoon, Gizmodo, Mashable, VentureBeat, Information Week, etc. good enough to inspire your hands into tech blogging.
5. Teaching (College Faculty Member) or IT Training
Engineering colleges and professional institutes are springing up like a weed, everywhere. Several institutes may be open to the idea of hiring skilled IT professionals with past work experience. The work is a relatively low stress, pays decently and vacations are great.
The more corporate angle to this profession is being hired as a Technical (IT) Trainer. They design special courses for organizational training, produce training schedules, conduct workshops, webinars, etc and sometimes travel around imparting gyaan.
6. Software Quality Analyst
If you have sufficient software knowledge, you can even take on a role serving as a quality assurance inspector verifying software integrity through its development cycle. A certified software quality analyst (e.g. DQS Certification) provides industries with assurance about the assurer!
7. Game and UI/UX Designer (or Developer)
Game programming requires software engineering skills, with additional skills of computer simulations, graphics, network, physics, and other goodies. You may even end up designing your own game, and earn more than a game programmer.
Similarly, in UI/UX design, coding skills (HTML5 & CSS3) are required along with the knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, etc.
The career scopes and job prospects are great for both profiles in India. Read the story of Shashwatee Shwetapadma, who switched to UI/UX design career from coding.
8. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a growing career option in India now. However, the competition is also very high in this field. With an IT (or coding) background, you would find it advantageous to be in the digital marketing vertical. Be it technical SEO, web design/development, mobile marketing, marketing automation, and analytics – a lot of sub-domains within the digital marketing field required IT or coding knowledge.
9. Business Analyst
Business Analysts (BA) form the bridge between the business and IT. With the help of data analytics, Business Analysts work on budgeting, forecasting, planning and also monitoring of business. They use all sorts of data metric tools to analyze opportunities, problems, and solutions and also suggest pricing strategies to business stakeholders. With a strong IT background or any of the Certifications like ECBA, CCBA, CBAP, AAC, CPRE, CFLBA, PBA, etc one can emerge as a strong BA professional.
Read jobs and salaries after MS Business Analytics.
10. Survey Programmer
Though this is seldom heard, Survey Programming is a demanding profile and getting a lot of business attention at the moment. Any business depends on a targeted market survey before entering a certain market or territory. Based on such collected data and research outcomes do most organizations take crucial decisions like which market they should target, their consumer behavior, price positioning, and competitors. These surveys typically differ between processes, target audience, and medium of the survey. The types of questions, the medium of a survey, the format, data collection, and data mining all comprise a very interesting role of a Survey Programmer.
11. IT Consulting or Product Management
Now many of the aspiring startups are looking forward to IT experts to freely associate with them as consultants for different domains and functions. These professionals generally work in contracts with different industrial or commercial bodies for the accomplishment of certain projects or solving typical business and IT problems commonly arising out of certain situations. In case you are someone with good IT background, records or experience, you can take up any project like systems design & analysis, app development, data security, and maintenance, etc.
Read how to become a product manager in India and careers in strategy & consulting.
12. Cloud Architect
With 90% of organizations turning towards hiring their own cloud space for data integration and safety, there is parallel to it, rising demand for specialists with high expertise in cloud space. A Cloud Architect starts from a raw cloud expanse and based on any of the platforms like Linux, Solaris, Unix, Ubuntu or Windows, designs a complicated cloud computing web.
This often determines how any of the existing digital applications will interact with the cloud, what kind of encryptions to be used so that any sort of Communication exchange is helpful and productive. The GCP or Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect Certification is a renowned alternative option for you to earn in lacs.
If we talk about all the unconventional career options you may choose in IT, the list is cumulative and never-ending. Assigning an altogether new role in IT is not as challenging as you may be thinking. With the upsurge of digital advancements all around, IT is promising the brightest future ahead.
13. Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs start new businesses and take on the risk and rewards of being an owner. This is the ultimate career in capitalism – putting your idea to work in a competitive economy. Some new ventures generate enormous wealth for the entrepreneur.
However, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. You need to be hard-working, smart, creative, willing to take risks and good with people. You need to have a heart, have the motivation, have a burning desire, and a strategic mind. Read 5 Things to Remember when Starting a Business and Do You Need a Degree to Start or Run a Business?
As an entrepreneur, another big challenge will be to survive the initial months (or maybe a few years) without a monthly paycheque. So, no more restaurants, extravagant holidays, impulsive shopping, fancy cocktails, and bars. However, it could be a great decision in the long-run. Read the story of Jitendra Chouksey, who switched to entrepreneurship after spending 8 years in the IT industry.
Author Parinita Gupta: Parinita is a full-time banking professional. Additionally, she is also a passionate blogger and digital marketer.
She mostly writes about the Banking & Finance, Technology, and FinTech sector. But, she also enjoys writing on other topics as well.  You can follow her on Twitter.
Featured Image Source: NCR Frontline News