Resilience is a theme that has emerged from all over the world as we find ways to cope, learn, and grow through these unusual times. We have good news for people who would like to start a career or who already work in technology: Research shows that the pandemic has accelerated digitization to the tune of a projected 149 million new jobs in tech by 2025.1
In-demand tech jobs by 2025:
- 98M new jobs projected in software development
- 23M in cloud and data roles
- 20M in data analysis, machine learning, and AI
- 6M in cyber security
- 1M in privacy and trust
In contrast, since 2008 employer-paid training has declined steadily.2 So how can you keep up with the training and certifications you need to grow into these high-demand roles? This is an encouraging opportunity to take charge of your own career growth through available training resources. Recently, we launched an initiative to help people worldwide acquire the digital skills needed in a COVID-19 economy.
It’s the right time to get skilled
Where are you in your career stage? Maybe you’re happily employed and the pandemic has not significantly impacted your career path. If so, this is a good opportunity to keep your skills relevant with training or explorations in new areas to ensure you’re current. Maybe you’re actively looking for a new role. Do you need to strengthen skills to be a prime candidate? Perhaps you’re a recent graduate and want to build specific skills for a role you’re interested in. Or maybe you’re growing in your career and want to take the next steps to become an expert in your field. Wherever you are in your current career stage, using this time of change to improve your skills can help you stay ahead.
Get role-based tech training
We’ve been building a portfolio of technical role-based training and certifications designed to help you stay current and be future-ready. Role-based training focuses on department objectives rather than product knowledge. For example, training and certification for a cloud administrator covers a broad set of products including data management and analytics, system properties and provisioning rules, VMs and even resource management, just to name a few. This helps provide a valuable set of skills to be successful in a job role, and in turn, makes you valuable as an employee or partner.
Learn in the style that fits best
Everyone learns differently. To meet people where they are, Microsoft Learn provides a range of learning modalities, often combined to create a personalized experience. This method empowers you to grow in a way that fits you best:
- Self-paced learning on Microsoft Learn helps build practical jobs skills with free, step-by-step, bite-sized tutorials and modules. Learning paths offer interactive coding environments right in the browser.
- Training events provide unique upskilling experiences, combining presentations with demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on workshops virtually and/or in person.
- Instructor-led training with Learning Partners, using Microsoft Official Courses taught by Microsoft Certified Trainers, brings customized training plans and dedicated personal attention and support to quickly advance technical expertise.
Keep moving forward
Continuous learning is a key signal of resilience and staying ahead. Just as Microsoft training is aligned with roles, Microsoft Certifications are designed to validate that those in-demand talents exist. Microsoft Certification validates technical knowledge and the ability to demonstrate real-world skills, recognition that can help you aim for your next career step. Continue learning and growing, even during a pandemic. Explore Microsoft Learn to find your path forward.
Related post:
1 Microsoft Data Science, utilizing LinkedIn Data. Methodology and assumptions can be found in the white paper “Methodology: Digitization Capacity of the World Economy.”
2 Council of Economic Advisers calculations of data from Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation. Microsoft CELA Data Science and Analytics.