That means having abstract skills that are not yet automatable by artificial intelligence, such as the ability to work with teams and knowing how to bring together different branches of knowledge.

For example, being a strong computer programmer who also knows a lot about tax law (yes, a sexy combination) puts you in a far better position than just being really, really good at programming.

Andrew Leigh MP is a Canberra-based economist and co-author of a book called Innovation + Equality. Rohan Thomson

And don't go assuming that every tech qualification will be automatically useful, with long-term utility.

"We need to realise that jobs we thought couldn't be automated a generation ago have turned out to be automated today," Leigh says.

Leigh predicts that based on the current deal flow, there will be more tech jobs for people installing solar panels and windmills, but beyond that, it's hard to forecast specific occupations.

Not everyone agrees that it is so difficult to predict the jobs that will be in demand over the next three to five years.

Deborah Walker, partner at IBM, predicts an explosion in demand for people with cyber-security experience.

Deborah Walker also predicts there will be opportunities in cloud technology, automation and AI as well as blockchain technology.

"Security teams are really going to have to transition from the people you call when you need help, to actually being a vital part of senior leadership and developing a strategy," Walker says.

She also predicts there will be opportunities in cloud technology, automation and AI as well as blockchain technology. Walker predicts there will be a greater demand for service designers, who aim to improve the quality and experience of a service to end users, and process designers, who create new processes or workflows.

Walker says there will be more demand for business platform, eco-system, hybrid-cloud and data architects as companies move to the cloud and become "cognitive-based" enterprises, which harness the power of exponential technologies, including AI, automation, 5G, Internet of Things and blockchain.

These roles generally look at customer and business vision, problems and opportunities, and create a technical program project to deal with them. Data architects design and manage vast electronic databases to store and organise data.

"Well also see the need for developers in the automation, blockchain, full-stack and machine learning area increase, but its critical that developers are continual learners, so they can keep up with exponential changes in the ever-evolving technology." A full-stack developer is a web developer who is proficient in both front-end and back-end web development.

There will also be a need for more data scientists and conversational analysts, who study speech that occurs in the course of ordinary human interactions.

Research director of cyber-physical systems at CSIRO's Data61, Sue Keay backs Leigh on the notion that those who can combine different fields of knowledge and understand how different systems work together will be in hot demand. She also predicts chief technology officers will only rise in importance.

"There will continue to be roles for people who develop software, web and app developers, but I think increasingly a lot of those things won't be able to be done in isolation from other areas, like information security," Dr Keay says.

With the rise of automation and data, Dr Sue Keay says that people will be needed who have skills in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science.

The rise of "DevSecOps" roles (development, security and operations) is an example of the demand for people with combined skills, with a focus on security.

Dr Keay also notes the rising challenge of validating and interpreting large volumes of company data and checking how this data relates to broader data sets is not going away anytime soon.

"To turn these data science-based insights into actionable business strategy requires the use of traditional market research techniques to both validate the data sets and translate the results into products for development," she says.

"[As a result] the role of people like chief information officers is going to continue to gain in importance because [data] will infiltrate everything that is happening in a company."

With the rise of automation and data, Dr Keay says that people who have skills in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science will be needed.

The AI jobs that will be in particular demand include machine learning engineers, computer vision engineers, data scientists, MLOps, data annotators, AI-aware Business Analysts, AI designers, AI product managers and AI architects.

There will be more dedicated jobs around tech fairness. It's something we need to be much more proactive about.

Dr Sue Keay, research director at Data61

In practice, this means people who can sort and aggregate voluminous amounts of data using new methodologies, as well as those who can use developments in AI and computer processing power to automate a wide variety of tasks that are currently done by humans alone.

Given the wide variety of tasks that have the potential to be automated by AI, the demand for AI experts is set to increase across a broad array of sectors from banking to e-commerce and agriculture.

In Queensland, there are eight times as many AI jobs like those listed above than there are people to fill them right now.

Dr Keay also predicts a rising need for people who can troubleshoot technology from an ethics and morality perspective and help organisations decide what technology shouldn't be released.

"There will be more dedicated jobs around tech fairness. It's something we need to be much more proactive about," she says.

For example, banks and hospitals will need data ethicists and data trust officers, and robotics companies will need robot-human influencers to examine the potential impacts of robots that operate side-by-side with humans.

Cicada Innovations chief executive and former Googler Sally-Ann Williams oversees numerous companies that use deep technology to help solve complex real world problems, from food sustainability to antibiotic resistance.

She says if you want to know which sectors will have high demand for smart people in the next few years, read The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015.

Sally-Ann Williams is also a huge fan of graduates with double degrees, and says that problem solvers will shine wherever they go.Louie Douvis

This blueprint outlines big picture issues, such as clean energy and sustainable cities, that require multifaceted solutions, which means there is a large market in each and a lot of opportunities to help out.

Here too there will be demand for data scientists and AI professionals, but with a focus on the application of those skills to specific domains, such as health, agriculture and the environment.

"Product designers and product managers that have skills in user experience, and deep expertise in the domain they are working in will also thrive," she says.

"We'll continue to see a need for blended business skills in finance, communication and growth strategy. Deep understanding of customers how to reach them and how to engage them will see the rise of new jobs that may not have titles yet but combine skills in data and analysis, communications and strategy."

Williams is also a huge fan of graduates with double degrees, and says that problem solvers will shine wherever they go.

Probably one of the toughest roles that people don't realise is tough in this country are people with hardcore sales experience within technology.

Jonathan Jeffries, Think & Grow director

And she says tech jobs are not just for software engineers and programmers.

"While there are some jobs that are purely technical, they are never purely technical," Williams says.

"If you think about a software engineer at Google or Facebook or Twitter or Microsoft, they're not just coding for coding's sake. They are coding to build a product or process that helps somebody, or optimises a task that someone is trying to do, or improves something like communication or connection or workflow. So there is always an application.

"If you think about software companies, they need to understand who uses their products, how they think, how they behave, what their life looks like. And those skills are not software skills they're user design, user experience. And really, the most sought after people are those with a broader skill set."

So, what if you're reading all this, and want to become involved in the tech sector ... but you don't know how and where to start?

Ms Williams says that's fine. Just start from wherever you are at today.

"Don't let fear hold you back," she says.

"Just start. You are not going to run a marathon the first day you decide to start running you probably aren't even going to be able to run one kilometre. But just start reading tech sector news, engage in the arena, go to events, and just say to people hey, I am just starting out. Most will be happy to help."

Jonathan Jeffries believes COVID-19 has created a demand for a new skill set in tech executives.

Jonathan Jeffries, director of the start-up growth and talent firm Think & Grow, predicts areas of need in the future include renewable energy, green tech, robotics, machine learning, data science and AI.

In green tech and renewables, jobs will be in software engineering, product roles in data, machine learning, end-to-end sales, marketing and instalments.

"Blending that skill set into that group or the understanding of that product type is going to be essential," he says.

"If you're an analyst at a bank retraining to be a data scientist. If you're working in hospitality and you're quite good with customers, retrain in customer success so by becoming someone that's good with customers and training into a tech job like customer success, that's a great potential career for the future that will be better paid than that of working in a restaurant or in hospitality.

"Customer success is a relatively new role in Australia. You are responsible for managing the customer engagement and continued growth of the product within the customers you are allocated."

Jeffries says there are a number of skills that will be transferable for jobs of the future in the tech industry.

Among those at the top of the hiring pile are those with "hardcore sales experience".

"Probably one of the toughest roles that people don't realise is tough in this country are people with hardcore sales experience within technology," he says.

"What I mean by that is the cold-calling, hunter mentality. Some companies are going to really struggle and have to generate new levels of work so I feel the sales component will certainly be one that companies are seeking."

Alister Coleman, founder and managing partner at venture capital firm Tempus Partners, has backed companies like HealthMatch and Freelancer and looks at about 700 to 800 new companies every year.

Coleman says that for budding entrepreneurs who are more "commercially minded", they will need to be skilled in marketing, sales, partnerships and how to grow a start-up.

In terms of job trends, he thinks that entrepreneurialism is becoming more attractive.

"It used to be that people wanted to become bankers and consultants, and not to disparage those careers, but I think entrepreneurship is the next wave of career for people because companies are cheap to start, typically the companies that people do start are connected with their passions, which provides long-term motivation for people, and you can now build companies that are essentially self-sustaining," he says.

Coleman says that for budding entrepreneurs who are more "commercially minded", they will need to be skilled in marketing, sales, partnerships and how to grow a start-up.

For those with a STEM background, they should develop or strengthen a strong grasp of what product and engineering roles actually entail, whereas more organisational-minded types need skills in HR and planning and the knack for making quality hires who can then best help them on their entrepreneurial journey.

Link:

Where will the future jobs in technology be? - The Australian Financial Review