Written by Artur Meyster (Guest Blog)

After the coronavirus lockdown, many people lost their jobs because of isolation. Because they were not able to work remotely, they could not carry out their duties. As a result, organizations started to reduce costs and hired new candidates that could help them move forward.

Being in isolation can be tough for many people. This is not only because of the anxiety of isolation but also because of unemployment. Being unemployed means that dealing with expenses can be a struggle. For that reason, several employees started to take action to survive this difficult situation.

In the same way, as tech talent is in-demand during the pandemic, employers’ requirements are now higher. In other words, getting a job is becoming a challenging task as most people need to learn new skills to meet employers’ demands.

With this in mind, you should know that to attract employers’ attention, you should learn new skills. However, if you really want to get hired, you should find out what employers are looking for in their new hirings. 

Given these points, here’s a list of four tech skills you should learn during COVID-19 to face isolation as well as today’s challenges 

Cloud Computing

Data is the new gold these days. For that reason, the demand for candidates that can keep data safe has increased. Today’s companies gather valuable information that helps them make better decisions and remain competitive. Firms have started to use cloud computing services to store their data. 

Cloud computing services provide companies not only with security but also with accessibility. Companies can have access to their data from any place and any device with an Internet connection. In other words, remote workers are able to use the stored information to work and help organizations innovate.

However, having your information stored in the cloud does not mean there are no threats. With this in mind, organizations have started to hire candidates like Cybersecurity Experts to enhance their security protocols.

Learning cloud computing skills will help you face unemployment during isolation as your job opportunities will increase. Also, learning cloud computing skills will help you stay relevant and be ready for coming challenges. To put it in another way, every employer will want you to be part of their team. 

Web Development

As a consequence of the digital era, customers have started to use more digital channels to satisfy their needs. But, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, the demand for digital channels like websites increased even more. Companies now need to hire skilled tech professionals like web developers to meet customers’ requirements.

Most web developers can work from home. For that reason, if you are at home and you can’t go out to work, becoming a web developer will help you get a new job. In other words, you will be able to deal with your expenses and change your lifestyle. 

According to Glassdoor, web developers earn, on average, $68,000 per year. Take action, enroll in a coding bootcamp, and learn web development skills to face isolation during Covid-19.

Kenzie Academy is a coding school that offers several courses in UX design and software engineering. Their software engineering program covers several in-demand programming languages like SQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that will help you to excel these days. Also, if money is a barrier, the company offers many financing options to help you deal with the expenses.

Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are changing the world. Machine learning algorithms have been implemented in almost every sector, from the health sector to the manufacturing industry. Machine learning has changed how companies operate, how customers shop, and even how doctors make diagnoses.

Becoming proficient in machine learning will make you a valuable candidate during Covid-19. World-class companies like Amazon and Facebook use machine learning algorithms on their websites. For that reason, more web developers are using machine learning to build websites and meet users’ demands. 

Also, as machine learning allows systems to provide more personalized experiences, more companies are using it in customer service. For example, some hotels use AI-chatbots to enable customers to make requests and check prices. As a result, they have quick responses at any time, making them feel more engaged.

Generally speaking, learning how to code machine learning algorithms will help you to work from home. You’ll be able to face isolation and increase your job opportunities these days. 

SQL

Data has indeed become valuable in the last few years. However, data is nothing if it’s not used correctly. SQL helps tech talent deal with data management tasks and create large pools of data. Given that, as organizations need experts who can help them organize their databases, learning SQL will help you get their attention.

SQL is easy to learn. Nevertheless, if while learning you need help, there’s a large community that’s able to give an extra hand. Stack Overflow is a popular website for programmers. SQL-skilled users often post topics and help others to solve coding issues. 

Also, it’s vital to say that SQL allows developers to combine data from multiple sources. As a result, gathering data from different devices and organizing it in one single database is easier.

Given these points, you should start learning SQL to face these hard times. It will not only help you get a new job because of the increased demand but also change your way of life.

Conclusion

In summary, learning tech skills like the ones listed above will help you face isolation, get hired, and prepared for what’s next. Being in isolation can be hard for many people. For that reason, you should be relaxed and invest your time in something that helps you move forward. There’s no time to sit and watch—cheer up, and take action.

About the author: Artur Meyster is the CTO of Career Karma (YC W19), an online marketplace that matches career switchers with coding bootcamps. He is also the host of the Breaking Into Startups podcast, which features people with non-traditional backgrounds who broke into tech. 

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