Tech companies have been making headlines of late for mass layoffs. Google, Microsoft and Amazon all announced collective layoffs of tens of thousands and Twitter and Meta both announced layoffs in the fall.
But the demand for technical skills is high. „The skills gap is still sharp, it’s still a significant gap,” says industry expert Vicky Salemi monster. „Employers are struggling to find workers in this tight labor market” who can meet diverse technical needs.
Although employers are not always looking for full-time professionals, some may be looking for part-time or contract jobs. If you have technical expertise and are looking for opportunities, here are seven skills freelancers will need this year. According to the freelancer site UpworkWith explanations of what each includes and how much the freelancers on the site charge.
Full-stack developers are trained to build both the front-end and back-end of a website. The front end is what users see and interact with and the back end powers the site. They know coding languages like JavaScript and Python and test platforms and software to ensure both work smoothly.
Upwork charges full-stack developers $135 an hour.
A mobile app developer is a software engineer who specializes in developing applications for smartphones, tablets and computers. They know coding languages, fix bugs in software, and work with graphic designers and data scientists to build their apps.
They charge as $155 per hour.
Web designers create websites and create appropriate functionality, using programming languages such as HTML and JavaScript and graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop.
How much do web designers at Upwork charge? $250 per hour.
These designers focus on creating user-friendly experiences on websites and apps. They plan the architecture of their sites, create its content, build prototypes and test for bugs.
They charge as $120 an hour.
A CMS is a content management system, software that helps its users manage their various content from creation to publishing. It stores the content in its database for later use. CMS developers are responsible for developing both the back end and front end of the software.
How much do CMS developers charge? $105 an hour.
These experts test the functionality of the software without the help of automated tools. They ensure that the software works properly in various situations and point out any bugs or issues along the way.
How much do manual testers charge? $50 an hour In Upwork.
Automation scripts are lists of commands for software that help automate tasks such as emailing a customer. Experts write them in coding languages like Python and JavaScript.
Scripting and automation experts charge more $350 per hour.
„We use technology every day,” says Margaret Leilani, Upwork’s vice president of talent solutions. „We use it to work, we use it to learn, we use it to communicate, we use it to transact.” This has been especially true in the past three years as people have increasingly leaned towards connecting their devices.
„That genie hasn’t gone back in the bottle,” he says, „and for businesses and their digital presence, they have to keep at it.”
If you want to acquire these skills, Salemi recommends looking into online certificate programs, MBA programs, or community college courses.
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