{"id":2218,"date":"2017-07-04T07:31:32","date_gmt":"2017-07-04T02:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mygreatlearning.com\/blog\/can-fix-tech-skills-gap\/"},"modified":"2024-12-17T11:56:52","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T06:26:52","slug":"can-fix-tech-skills-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mygreatlearning.com\/blog\/can-fix-tech-skills-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can You Fix Your Tech Skills Gap?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recent IT layoffs are a testament to the sharp shift that the technology sector is experiencing in terms of jobs and skills. Read on an article by Harish Subramaniam, Director -\u00a0Business Development at Great Learning, on \"How to fix your tech skills gap?\". In the article published by Financial Express, Harish talks about the urgent need for employees to reskill themselves with new age skill set such as analytics, big data, cloud computing<\/a>, & machine learning<\/strong>. Harish also mentions the experiences of a few Great Learning students.<\/em><\/p>\n

Most of us are inextricably tied to our identities as a 'mainframes guy' or a 'Java Developer'. It's what we know, we're proud of it, and we're very, very comfortable. Until we are not.
\nThe tech skills gap seems to have snuck up on the IT industry as a whole, but it shouldn't have. The writing's been on the wall for a long time. Automation is the most commonly attributed cause, but it's likely only the last straw. No doubt IT firms' business model is changing fundamentally - with a larger proportion of business likely to come from advanced technology solutions rather than the bread-and-butter process outsourcing. At the same time, the wage arbitrage opportunity has been shrinking over the last decade, and a vast majority of our 'client countries', including the US and the UK, have been kicking up an anti-globalisation, protectionist storm. In light of such macroeconomic uncertainty, companies have unsurprisingly taken a 'wait and see' approach.
\nAll this while, companies have maintained rather deep benches with hiring and training contingent on the pipeline of future projects and project extensions. And 'bench strength' is the first area of reduction, especially when this contingent talent isn't trained areas that are increasingly most pertinent - analytics, big data<\/a>, cloud computing, machine learning<\/strong> and the like. This seems patently unfair. You learned what you were told to learn by your firm, and you got really good at your job. Now that's not enough?
\nFear not, though. Competing for a shrinking number of jobs in your area of expertise isn't your destiny. Nasscom believes that about 40% of the tech and BPO workforce in India need to reskill themselves over the next five years. In a sector that employs an estimated four million people, that's 1.6 million who need to learn these skills. So, what exactly should you be learning?
\nSo apart from getting skilled in the 'coming wave' of technologies, what else can one do? Reinventing yourself takes a lot more than just taking a course of two. For starters, build a 'body of work'. Employers now need to be shown, not told, what your skills are. So, set up that GitHub account, post your projects there, develop an opinion, and create a portfolio rather than a resume. Even more importantly, learn to learn - so you're not in this situation again. The cycle time of technology advancement is only getting shorter, and companies face less of a hurdle in the adoption of new technology solutions. So, you need to stay on top of every 'coming wave'.
\nOk, the learning part makes sense. But what do you do with all this new knowledge? How do you reinvent yourself when you've built a decade-long career in one area? Let's take a look at some of our Great Lakes PGP-BABI<\/strong> alumni who have blazed a trail for us.<\/p>\n