Top 6 Tech Roles for Graduates in APAC 2023 by FDM

Technology has long been gradually eradicating jobs in the market. Switchboard operators – hard to believe they were ever a thing. Travel agents – when was the last time you booked a flight in person? You’ve probably already experienced robots replacing human telemarketers.

So, when investigating a potential career path, graduates have a number of factors to weigh up - not least of which is stability. Fortunately, the tech space is generating more career opportunities than it is eliminating and tops the list of jobs that will never disappear.

Machines are good at repetitive, predictable tasks but give them an anomaly and they throw their digital hands up in despair. Because skilled IT professionals can easily solve simple problems which bamboozle AI, they are guaranteed a secure foreseeable future. 

What are the tech roles that will be in demand in APAC 2023?

First, a quick world overview for a little perspective.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, while Europe and the USA face a possible recession, economies in the Asia-Pacific will lead global economic growth in 2023.

And the International Data Corporation (IDC), in its top technology predictions for 2023 and beyond, says spending on digital technology by APAC organisations will grow 3.5 times.

Meanwhile, the pool of tech talent in the region can’t keep pace with the needs of companies desperate to scale and protect, their digital assets. This offers amazing options and opportunities for graduates looking to break into the tech space.

The Top 6 digital skillsets most sought after are:

Cloud Computing Engineers

The rise of hybrid working has seen cloud computing accelerate globally. Adoption of cloud in Asia-Pacific is forecast to exceed the rest of the world, with an AWS-commissioned report predicting that the need for cloud computing skills in APAC will triple by 2025.

Cybersecurity Analysts

Cybercrimes have grown by over 600% since the pandemic with the global annual cost estimated to be USD$6 trillion per year. This represents a major career opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region, with 60% of organisations reporting significant understaffing in cyber security professionals.

Software Developers

Historically, currently, and looking forward, software development has been called the world's most in-demand profession, with scarcity across all industries and regions. Promising a challenging, stimulating and rewarding career has to be a primary consideration for creative, analytical problem-solvers.

Data Scientists

Ten years ago, the Harvard Business Review called this “the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century.” Today, especially in the Asia-Pacific, they are in more demand than ever with their skills and insights crucial to companies looking to make themselves future fit through technological advancement.

Computer Programmers

As the Asia-Pacific asserts itself as the engine of global prosperity, it’s coders who are the drivers of APAC’s digital revolution. Already a vital component of business advancement, their importance, and demand, will only continue to grow.  

Business and Systems Analysts

Expanding businesses need to manage and analyse increasing volumes of data, which puts analysts in ever-higher demand. LinkedIn reports that data analysis is one of APAC’s top 3 fastest growing job categories.

What does all this mean for APAC graduates?

The Asia-Pacific region is becoming the world’s dominant digital economic force. Already home to more than twice as many internet users as North America, employment in computer and IT roles is expected to expand faster than the average for all occupations.

One of the major benefits of pursuing a career in tech is this certainty of job demand. Data is the universal currency of business, if you can manage it to a company’s advantage, you are in a career that is future proof.

But beyond that - once you’re in, you can customise your career path and move across different roles. With a solid ground grounding in a few key skills you can play to your strengths. Logical thinker who loves the challenge of cracking problems?  Maybe head down one of the many roads offered by coding and development.

Perhaps you’re confident interacting with different groups? You might head towards business analysis and intelligence to help businesses make smarter data-driven strategic decisions.

Whatever looks attractive, with a solid foundation in the right key skills you can explore and discover the path that is the best fit for you.

How FDM supports you on your career journey

FDM is in continuous dialogue with our multinational clients, putting us at the coalface of perpetually evolving demands for specific tech skills. This has numerous benefits that we can pass on to graduates looking to enter the tech career space through our Graduate Program.

It means we can tailor our training programs to meet projected needs – providing clients with skilled consultants to step into their teams in the shortest time possible. And we can guide candidates to the career paths that offer the greatest opportunity for their personal growth and development.

What this often means is that those who begin a certain training stream with us will progress in a new, exciting direction after placement with one of our clients. This is the real beauty of tech: that it opens up a world of unlimited possibilities.