Hong Kong’s industries are competing for talents, especially in the information technology sector, where there is a shortage of skilled workers. Whether it’s the familiar IT support, web and app development, data analysis, or cloud engineering, all these belong to the IT sector. So, what are the popular positions in the IT field? How should newcomers choose? Which positions have promising futures and lucrative salaries? This article provides insights!
According to the “2022 Salary Trend Survey” released by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management at the end of last year, the IT industry had the largest salary increases, with an average increase of 9.8%, outperforming the general market. The top job categories in the IT field include software development, data engineering, cyber security, cloud engineering, and project management.
Two Major Popular Fields with Many Vacancies – Easy for Newcomers to Pick Up Venturenix, an IT recruitment company, Director Dicky Yuen said that from a career entry perspective, software development and data engineering are relatively feasible with more job vacancies. There are several 3 to 4-month courses available for beginners. Some of these courses claim a 100% employment rate, and most students can establish basic concepts through these courses. “You can pick up more as you work, and there’s on-the-job training.”
Dicky Yuen, Director of IT recruitment company Venturenix, thinks that newcomers need to be careful not to “choose the wrong field”. As for the two fields, software development is more widespread, but in the past two or three years, many companies have undergone digital transformation, striving to obtain data as a competitive advantage. Many companies have moved from web and app development to understanding the importance of data platforms and establishing data platform concepts. Dicky revealed that there are more than ten companies whose Data Team grew from 2-3 people three years ago to now over 30. He believes that the market demand for data technology will increase.
With the increasing number of online transactions in recent years, the importance of cyber security is self-evident. However, Dicky thinks that it is relatively difficult to enter the field of cyber security, as it is a type of job that requires immersion. He explained that to prevent hackers, one must first be familiar with networks. Therefore, people with a networking background may transition to cyber security, but it would be more challenging for individuals without an IT background.
Computer Science Graduates VS Short-term Course Graduates There are currently many short-term IT courses that claim to turn an absolute beginner into an IT newcomer in just 3 to 4 months. What is the difference between these mid-career transitioners and the traditional computer science graduates who have earned bachelor’s degrees?
As shown in the figure above, the redder the programming language, the closer it is to Machine Code. Dicky stated that traditional computer science students learn C and C++, and can also learn Java and JavaScript within about two weeks. The short-term courses mainly focus on JavaScript and Java, but do not enable students to quickly learn C and C++. However, Dicky also pointed out that industries requiring C and C++ are not many, such as chip and high-frequency trading industries. Banking and some industries use Java, while JavaScript is used for general industries.
How can you determine if you are suitable for a career in IT? Many institutes offer free trial classes. Dicky said that some institutes also conduct evaluations to understand which direction is suitable for development.
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