Main image of article Career-Planning in 2024? Focus on Emerging Tech.

If you’re undecided about your career direction in 2024, consider this: around 26 percent of tech job postings in November involved emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (A.I.) and machine learning, according to CompTIA’s most recent analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Fortunately, emerging technologies touch a number of disciplines, from network engineering to cybersecurity; no matter what your current role, you can boost your current opportunities by learning how these new tools and techniques will change it. “As an enabling technology, companies hiring for AI skills inevitably need to boost adjacencies in areas such as data infrastructure, cybersecurity and business process automation,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA, wrote in a note accompanying CompTIA’s data.

But which emerging technologies are gaining momentum? Earlier this year, consulting firm McKinsey published a report breaking down some of the fastest-growing technology fields (by job postings). It’s a useful way to narrow down the emerging technologies already making an impact:

  • Applied AI
  • Next-generation software development
  • Cloud and edge computing
  • Trust architectures and digital identity
  • Future of mobility

According to that report, next-generation software development includes the following:

  • Low- and no-code platforms
  • Infrastructure-as-Code
  • A.I.-generated code and A.I.-based testing
  • Microservices and APIs
  • Automated code review

At the heart of many of these emerging technologies, though, is A.I. and automation. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis concluded that A.I., automation and robotics could collectively contribute $15 trillion to global GDP by 2030. Automation has already impacted a range of jobs across the tech industry for some time; thanks to generative A.I. and other technologies, this rate of change will only accelerate by the end of the decade.

If you’re wondering how to advance your career in 2024, first study how automation will impact your role. For example, if you’re a software engineer or developer, figure out how no- and low-code tools will change how you write, debug, and deploy code. Keeping an eye on A.I., machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies will only benefit you in years ahead.