Despite a flat UK economy and a global downturn in the tech industry, here are three recession-proof tech careers

From rising energy costs to Brexit, there are many reasons why the UK economy experienced zero growth in Q4 of 2022 and is expected to shrink even further in 2023. Even more sobering is the World Economic Forum’s prediction that the UK’s economic prospects are now worse than Russia’s.

Couple this with the fact that the global tech industry is experiencing mass layoffs to the tune of 123,882 workers in 454 companies so far this year – and it’s easy to see why a career in tech doesn’t seem as stable as it was a year ago.

3 tech careers that are recession-proof and growing

The silver lining is that certain sectors within the tech industry are holding up better than others. Areas such as machine learning, data analytics and product management are still tech careers in demand and actively hiring for staff.

Engineers

If the advent of ChatGPT has taught us anything, it’s that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will become even more prevalent in our everyday lives. Businesses are also increasingly relying on machine learning to provide better and more efficient services.

In fact, the global AI market is expected to hit over £1.3 billion by 2030. AI and machine learning have also opened up financial services, and London continues to be a global hub for fintech, with over 3,000 companies and counting basing their operations in the capital.

Data analysts

In periods of uncertainty, having access to real, actionable insights is essential for the survival of any company. That’s why data scientists continue to be in demand – according to recent findings, data engineer is one of the fastest-growing and in-demand tech careers in the UK. In particular, organisations are relying on vast amounts of AI-generated data, interpreted by data scientists, to streamline their processes.

Product managers

While companies are undoubtedly relying on automation to boost efficiency and bolster their resilience during periods of economic uncertainty, product managers are still vital to the success of an organisation. And despite chatter surrounding ChatGPT and the debate about whether it will replace the need for knowledge workers entirely, AI tools aren’t infallible. And as they run off datasets and not facts, they can often get things wrong — meaning human intervention to ensure accuracy is still essential.

Ready to future-proof your career in 2023 and beyond? The Information Age Jobs Board features hundreds of job listings in companies that are actively hiring, like the three below.

Senior data analyst, HelloFresh, London

Active in 18 countries and three continents, the HelloFresh brand is celebrating its 10-year anniversary and continues to grow. It is currently seeking a Senior Data Analyst to join its insights and analytics team and lead on a wide range of data-based projects.

In this role you’ll be required to establish data extraction processes, develop and build automated automated analytics dashboards, utilise the data pipeline to provide actionable insights and provide consultancy and advice.

Applicants will need a degree in computer science, engineering, statistics or mathematics, experience with relational SQL and NoSQL databases, cloud infrastructure and tools such as Github or Jira. See more details here.

Senior machine learning engineer, Freewheel, London

Freewheel, part of the Comcast company, provides ad platforms for publishers, advertisers and media buyers. It is looking for a senior machine learning engineer with an in-depth working knowledge of machine learning and data science technologies and cloud platforms to join its optimisation team.

Day-to-day you’ll lead and execute data science projects and ensure they deliver business value, work with the product and engineering teams to build data model pipelines to power customer-driven products and mentor junior team members to drive the team’s technical excellency.

The ideal candidate will have a MSc or above in a STEM subject, solid knowledge of machine learning and expert-level proficiency in Python and SQL. View the full job description here.

Senior product manager, Intercom, London

Intercom is on a mission to make the internet more personal and as senior product manager you’ll be tasked with helping businesses drive customer engagement, deliver better support, and enhance productivity. You’ll also manage the roadmap and will be able to capture work from a wide range of inputs, and understand and prioritise this work so your team is always working on the most impactful projects.

To apply for this role you’ll need five-plus years’ experience as a product manager, experience of leading a team and a strong design background, as it’s essential you’re able to think deeply about product design decisions and have an understanding of how to create simple user interfaces. You can apply for this role here.

For more career opportunities across tech, visit the Information Age Jobs Board today

A lifestyle journalist and editor for over 10 years, Aoibhinn McBride has written for titles in Dublin, London, New York and Dubai

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