5 in-demand tech jobs - and how to know if one is right for you

There's a lot to think about when you're trying to find the next step in your career, especially if that next step is a career change. Are you looking for a different work-life balance? Are you looking for an industry with better job growth? Or maybe you're ready to move from an in-person work environment to a fully remote one.

Whatever the reason, a career change can be exciting and nerve-wracking in equal measure, and it can also be a huge time commitment. So if you're putting in so much time and effort, you naturally want it to pay off in the form of a job you're happy with. Of course, sometimes you can't predict how it will turn out, but there are some clues that can help you decide if a job is right for you. You can also determine whether your previous experience lends itself to a job that excites you.

If you're considering a move to a new job in the tech industry, here are five in-demand positions in the industry and how you can catch a hiring manager's eye as a relative newcomer.

But first: What do recruiters expect from lateral entrants?

Some applicants often apply without relevant work experience and this can lead to disappointment. It is not impossible, but it is extremely difficult and will probably take a lot of time to make the switch.

For this reason, it is important to find roles that match your background and/or main interests in some way. You may have worked with similar technology in a previous job, or you may be familiar with working with big data, which will be an important part of a new role. It is important that you can show potential employers that you have relevant experience. To this end, creating a portfolio of relevant projects you've done outside of your normal day-to-day work is a great way to show what you can do.

Let's say someone is an analyst in finance and actually wanted to go into accounting, but that was too boring for them. And they've discovered that they're much more passionate about data science. It makes perfect sense for this person to take the plunge - they have these passions, core interests and relevant experience and can hit the ground running and progressively upskill.

In your application, include hobbies or passions that align with the industry. Since jobs in the tech industry are highly competitive, highlight unique details to set yourself apart from the competition and ultimately land a job.

1. Ingenieur für maschinelles Lernen

Unsurprisingly, machine learning is a big topic at the moment. Companies in almost every industry - from agriculture to streaming services to healthcare - are using their data to develop machine learning models to make predictions that will impact future business decisions.

As a Machine Learning Engineer, you will spend the majority of your time working with large data sets and recognizing patterns that will help your company achieve its goals. If you already have a background in computer science or another IT field, your experience with technical thinking and concepts, as well as your math background, will put you ahead of the pack when looking for a machine learning job.

Also, keep in mind that just because you don't have a technical background doesn't mean machine learning is off limits. For example, let's say you've worked as a buyer and therefore know a lot about consumer buying behavior. You could take advantage of this expertise and find an entry-level machine learning position in e-commerce.

2. Full-Stack-Engineer

A full-stack engineer has a wide range of tasks with far-reaching responsibilities. They need to know how the various front-end and back-end applications work, when they are used and how the user interacts with them.

If you are already working in web development (perhaps as a front-end engineer or back-end engineer), it would make a lot of sense to take the next step and learn the additional tools and software required for full-stack development. Another sensible career move is if you are aiming for a more hands-on role in day-to-day development, but have already worked in a related role such as DevOps or UX design. In this case, your background in web development could set you up for a transition to full-stack development (with some training with books or online, of course).

Another scenario is that you may not have technical responsibilities in your job, but you have solid coding skills - perhaps you've been building websites as a hobby for years. This background would catch a recruiter's eye and give you the opportunity to move from a non-technical role into full-stack development. Keep in mind that you may need to move into an entry-level role or a role that is a stepping stone, such as front-end engineer and back-end engineer, before making the jump to full-stack engineer.

3. IoT-Engineer

Do you own a smartwatch? How about a smart fridge? Or are you interested in the technology behind self-driving cars? These are all examples of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and they are part of a rapidly growing industry that will shape our society in the coming years.

But what makes someone a suitable candidate for an IoT engineer position? Well, for starters, you're a good candidate if you have an engineering degree or are already working as an engineer. And we're not just talking about software engineers here. Hardware engineers, especially those with some software knowledge, can also be successful in this field. Similarly, software engineers who have some hardware background will find this an advantage when looking for a job.

Two other areas related to IoT are cybersecurity and data science. IoT devices face security vulnerabilities, so cybersecurity experts will find that their background and skills translate well to the IoT. And data scientists will find that their data analysis and organization skills are directly related to the work of an IoT engineer, because once IoT products are developed and in use, all the data from those devices must be analyzed.

4. Produkt manager

Good product managers are organized, data-driven, analytical, creative, quantitative, strategic and communicative. They can be described as the glue that holds the team together and are the conduit between the development team, sales, marketing, R&D and upper management.

Product managers are also responsible for maintaining timelines for each product and ensuring that team members have the resources they need to develop effective solutions. If you are good at creating a plan and executing it with your team, then you could succeed as a product manager.

People with different backgrounds, both technical and non-technical, can make the transition to product manager. Keep in mind, however, that you will have more success in your job search if you look for product managers in the field you are already working in. For example, if you work as a designer, you can look for a product manager position where you are responsible for design software. If you are coming from a front-end engineer position, you should look for product manager positions that require a technical background (not all!).

5. Cybersecurity-Experte

News of data breaches and hacks have unfortunately become commonplace, and many companies have decided to go on the offensive and hire cybersecurity experts. As a cybersecurity professional, your job is to protect an organization's network, users and resources. Typical job titles for professionals in this field include cybersecurity analyst, cybersecurity engineer, security engineer, security administrator, forensic computer analyst and chief information security officer.

Hackers are always trying to find new and innovative ways to steal valuable data or crash entire computer systems. This means that cybersecurity professionals must constantly learn and implement new and better solutions to protect data. In other words, a big part of the job is to keep learning. So if you're not a fan of constant learning, this isn't the job for you.

If you are already fluent in one or more of the programming languages used in cybersecurity or spend part of your day analyzing software or diagnosing network problems, then you are a good candidate for a career change.

An understanding of network architecture, operating systems and software development will also give you the technical foundation you need to be an organization's cybersecurity expert.