Anyone debating leaving the military in the next few years is likely thinking about that silver bullet skill set that will instantly get them a high-paying job wherever they want to live.
The good news is that those skills exist.
In the past, these skills were things like C++, Python and Swift coding languages. Last year, cloud computing and artificial intelligence topped the list of in-demand skills that could land anyone a job.
Every year, LinkedIn, the employment-oriented social medium and digital employment service, lists the most in-demand skills employers around America need right now. These are the things that, once mastered, can help ensure job security for years to come.
So if someone happened to be in a position where they couldn't leave their current job for another few years, and therefore had the time and resources to train for their next job, regardless of cost, these would be the skills to start learning.
They're the perfect skills for someone who's, say, in the military, to learn for their eventual separation.
1. Blockchain
From the depths of murky cryptocurrency accounting came a really good idea for securing and sending digital assets, from documents to money. This is the first year that Blockchain and its non-editable data entry made the list.
The same security provided by blockchain technology that once made it ideal for shadowy figures on the web also makes it highly sought-after in regular, legal industries, such as health care and gaming.
2. Cloud Computing
This is the technology that allows data to be stored, accessed and managed on the internet and via smartphones, tablets and any other wireless tech that accesses the cloud. It's about more than just accessing the cloud, however. People with cloud computing skills would be designing the infrastructure of cloud computing in the future.
3. Analytical Reasoning
If you have skills that allow you to take troves of data and discern patterns, especially in areas where others cannot, you might have great analytical reasoning skills. The great part about analytics is that the only experience you (supposedly) need is in the data set provided to you.
4. Artificial Intelligence
AI is the driving force behind a lot of today's advances. Speech analysis, facial recognition technology and data parsing are critical components to many emerging technological fields. This is the tech that allows machines to supply an analysis of contextual information and trigger events based on those findings
5. UX Design
A user experience designer is part of a team that creates ways to meaningfully interact with a product or service. These teams are involved in every aspect of a product's creation, from its initial design to the branding and marketing of it.
6. Business Analysis
This research-based skill identifies the needs of a business and then finds the best solutions to meet those needs. These can be external or internal requirements and may be the result of an event or policy or spurred by a continuing review of a business' processes. No matter what the driving force behind the analysis, the business analyst delivers fundamental organizational changes.
7. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a kind of advertising. In this model, one company get a third party to bring traffic and sales leads to its products (usually through digital publishing) for a commission. Basically, one business is paying other companies to be its sales team, without the cost of actually hiring workers.
8. Sales
In case anyone thought the rise of affiliate marketing would mean the death of a sales team, lay your fears to rest. Good ol' sales jobs are alive and well -- and if anything, even more meaningful in today's highly competitive environment.
9. Scientific Computing
When scientists can't actually conduct experiments because the experiment would be too big, too long, too costly or too dangerous, they have to turn to scientific computing, a means of experimentation that brings together mathematicians and experts in the subject, as well as existing tools and theories to create solutions for scientific and engineering issues.
10. Video Production
Learning to write, shoot and edit video for publications -- especially internet-based digital publications -- will always have value. Every major agency of the federal government has a digital video department, from the White House to the DEA. And small and large businesses alike prefer in-house video producers because outsourcing video production can be an expensive undertaking.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com.
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