Thanks to COVID-19, Singapore has witnessed a significant increase in revenue within it’s IT industry. This is not only a result of the formation of new businesses within the ICT sector but also due to existing enterprises investing in digital transformation efforts. Add that with the global leaders in technology such as Google and Facebook setting up operations locally, Singapore is becoming one of the best places to hire IT talents.
However, for the uninitiated firms that have yet to invest significantly in hiring technology talents, they might experience difficulties navigating complex requirements for various job titles in the IT sector. As an IT recruitment agency, we will be listing some of the most popular IT positions available out there.
Which Are The Most In-Demand Tech Roles in Singapore?
In understanding our hiring employers and their never-ending quest for top tech talent, we've analysed titles such as software developers, generalist IT jobs such as technical support, and some job titles in more niche areas of the IT infrastructure such as database engineer, full-stack engineer.
The 4 top IT jobs in high demand by employers in both the public and private sector in Singapore are:
Software Developers
Data Analysts
Security Engineers
Cloud Engineers
What do Software Developers do?
Software developers (A.K.A. software engineers), are people that utilise their programming knowledge to create software for end users. The products they create vary with business goals but in general there are either desktop applications that can be installed on a computer, web applications that can be accessed on the internet, and mobile applications which are accessible on mobile phones and tablets. As more businesses invest in creating mobile and web applications in order to provide a faster, simpler and more efficient transaction network, the demand for software developers have increased.
Types of software developers
Software developers can generally be broken down into: front end, back end and full stack.
Front end developers focus heavily on user experience and as the title suggests, they work with graphic designers and UX/UI specialists to be responsible for the front of the application that users see.
Back end developers are responsible for making sure that the internal processes of the application run smoothly. Specifically, they may be responsible for coding the server side of the application.
Full stack developers are knowledgeable about both front and back end development methodologies.
Certifications to look out for in Software Developers
While there are existing certifications available for software development, companies seldom place them as a prerequisite. In addition, although there are many software developers who have a degree in computer science or a related field, not every company lists it as a requirement. Instead, companies usually request to look at a candidate’s past experience in private and open source projects as well as their Github profile.
More information on the different courses needed to become a software developer.
What do Data Analysts do?
Data analysts are a bit of a catch-all term. In general, the role of a data analyst is to organise information collected before processing and analysing it to produce meaningful business insights. This could include preparing data from databases, applying statistical techniques to the data, producing visualisations for the processed data, and even applying artificial intelligence techniques to create predictive models.
Data analysts are experiencing rising demand as more firms realize that they have a ton of consumer data collected without anyone to make sense of it. Particularly, firms are looking for data analysts to create data driven insights in order to perform better consumer targeting and optimization for internal operations.
Types of data analysts
Data analysts can work in various departments in an organisation depending on what they are hired for.
Financial data analysts typically perform analysis on financial data to gain insight into increasing business revenue and optimising operating costs.
Market research analysts drive marketing analytics, perform consumer behaviour research, study industry trends and new market opportunities.
Big data and machine learning analysts apply statistical techniques and algorithms to existing data, using it to build predictive models for forecasting.
Certifications to look out for in data analysts
Data analysts usually have a degree and background in a mathematical heavy subject. Typically, they possess degrees such as computer science, statistics, mathematics or economics. Due to the quantitative nature of their jobs, they are expected to be knowledgeable in data collection, processing, analysis and interpretation methods.
What do Security Engineers do?
Security engineers focus on developing a digital infrastructure that reduces the risk of a malicious actor from gaining access to private information within the system. There are a plethora of security engineering job types due to the number of platforms and network architectures available in the digital space. Security engineers have been growing in popularity due to the increasing amount of data leaks and hacking incidents reported in mainstream media.
Types of security engineers
There are a great number of specialisations for security engineers. This is not a surprise considering that every layer of a digital system contains its own technical jargon and protocols. The type of security engineer required typically depends on the nature of the system that requires defending as well as the methodology companies are looking for. For example, companies might just be looking for security administrators of a developed system,a penetration tester to expose vulnerabilities, or even a security software developer to create enterprise level security software.
Certifications to look out for in security engineers
Again, while many security engineers possess degrees in areas like computer science and information systems, it is seldom a necessary requirement. Instead, other than work experience, companies usually look for certification evaluated by cybersecurity accreditation bodies. Examples of accreditations include EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker, COMPTIA’s Security+ and the ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager certificates.
What do Cloud Engineers do?
Cloud engineers represent a paradigm shift in software development. Put simply, instead of downloading an application and running it on a single computer, users are able to run the application on a remote computer network instead so as to free up resources. Specifically, the three models of cloud computing offered are: Software as a service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a service and Platform as a service. Cloud engineers are starting to take off due to the growing popularity and interest in SaaS models. Microsoft, Amazon and Google has also began offering cloud platforms for businesses to develop their applications in.
Types of Cloud Engineers
In general there are three types of cloud engineers as follows:
Solutions architects focus on introducing and defining the architecture of a digital system. They provide technical guidance on the overall blueprint of the cloud infrastructure.
Cloud developers use their knowledge on software development methodologies and best practices to create a cloud computing based software.
System operations managers are the main administrators of the system once the development cycle is complete. They are responsible for the maintenance of the developed cloud application.
Certifications to look out for in cloud engineers
Cloud computing is still a relatively new technology and there are sparse undergraduate degrees that focus on cloud computing. Instead, most people possess degrees in computer science and information systems. In addition, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud offer certifications for those who are trained in managing and utilizing their cloud computing services.
A look into the future
The recent pandemic has led us to a technological revolution. Thanks to COVID-19, all businesses now have a significant portion of their operations run through a digital medium. If you’re looking for a technological transformation but do not know where to start, make sure to reach our tech specialist recruiters at BGC Group!
What are some high demand IT roles in Singapore that we've missed?
Share them with us in the comments section below!
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