In the future jobs market, it will pay to have skills that are in demand––so says The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2023 Future of Jobs report.

Technology is moving faster than companies can design and scale up their training programmes, and as a result, companies and organisations are reshaping the way they look at nearly every aspect of the workplace.

In fact, between now and 2027, the WEF has predicted that 44% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted. According to a cyber security skills report compiled by the UK’s Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, more than 6,000 new jobs were added last year.

Gartner reports that worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 20.7% to $591.8 billion in 2023. That’s up from $490.3 billion in 2022, and is being driven by the pace of digital transformation as companies increasingly move to cloud solutions.

According to Cyber Security Ventures, the number of global cybersecurity job vacancies experienced a remarkable growth rate of 350% over the past decade––from just over 1 million positions in 2013, the number skyrocketed to 3.5 million in 2021. These levelled in 2022, and the figure has remained steady at 3.5 million throughout 2023.

The two roles are interlinked––as cloud adoption accelerates, more professionals are needed across information and cybersecurity functions. The Government's cybersecurity skills report notes that most common roles opening up are security engineers (35%), security analysts (18%), security managers (14%), security architects (11%) and security consultants (9%).

Huge growth

It’s clear that cloud computing and cybersecurity are two areas of huge growth opportunities for workers looking for a way to future-proof their career, or make an exciting pivot.

For those nervous about an uncertain future as automation creeps into so many roles thanks to the rise of generative AI tools, there are a number of things that skills-adjacent workers can do to close, or shorten, their own experience gaps.

In-house learning and development opportunities can go some way to providing a solution to the problem. In cyber-specific firms, 73% have provided training for staff, compared to 21% of businesses in the wider private sector.

Or, consider external training. The National Cyber Security Centre has designed two levels of training to address the skills chasm, and courses include a foundation in cybersecurity for those who want to pivot, or more in-depth courses for professional development.

Diversification is key

With so many existing open roles and many jobs increasing in importance, it behoves companies to look at their DE&I policies to help close jobs and skills gaps. Men tend to dominate the cybersecurity job market, with a 2022 report on women in cybersecurity finding that women in the UK make up only 36% of the cybersecurity workforce.

It’s no secret that women are a minority of the tech workforce, and in fintech those numbers are worse, according to a report from EY, which found that women hold only 11% of all fintech board seats and represent less than 20% of company executives.

It’s time for a shift to take place, so if you are ready to elevate your career in cybersecurity, the Finextra Job Board is the best place to start your search as it features thousands of jobs, like the three below.

Deloitte is an example of a global company which hires large numbers of cybersecurity executives globally, using a more holistic approach and on the job training. If that appeals, the hybrid role of Automation Tester, Cloud & Engineering, Hybrid, is within its cloud and engineering team, and will be based out of the Dublin office.

Another cloud opportunity is on offer at Oracle in London. The GenO Cloud Systems Engineer will collaborate with the sales team to identify and qualify leads for hybrid cloud solutions and conduct thorough needs assessments and understanding of clients' IT infrastructure and business goals.

For those who would like to work for a digital transformation leader, IBM has an open role in London for a Cloud Solution Architect. Here, you'll serve as a leader in defining solutions, be the advocate for the client while guiding the technical team to implementation and collaborate to understand business problems and requirements.

For hundreds of jobs across cloud and cybersecurity, check out the Finextra Job Board.