73,200. That’s the number of people who’ve lost their jobs this year. Many of them tied their financial security, dreams, aspirations, and future self-worth to their designations and took pride in what they did. But the companies they worked for- Oracle, Facebook, Meta, Disney, and many others- decided they didn’t need them anymore, as AI-led automation or cost-cutting measures were cited as reasons to let them go.
If you are one of them, you need not worry. The skills you’ve spent years mastering- both technical and otherwise- continue to be relevant, even though they can be applied elsewhere. Here we’ll see the jobs you can consider after your layoffs.
Cloud/DevOps/SRE Engineers
IT Engineers who have long held experience with networking, scripting, or Linux can train themselves to become DevOps, Cloud, or Site Reliability Engineers. These specialized skills are required to manage complex cloud environments and to automate workflows to ensure software development meets requirements in real time. Though upskilling may be required, demand for such roles is extremely high, as companies continue to upgrade their software and migrate their entire digital infrastructure to the Cloud. In India alone, about 5000+ vacancies can be found across leading job sites, with many offering premium salaries due to the skill shortage.
Cybersecurity and associated compliance roles
Cybersecurity remains a constant threat and challenge for organizations, many of which continue to hire skilled professionals in this regard. With a 37% surge in cyberattacks, roles like GRC analysts, SOC analysts, and Cloud Security Engineers are in high demand. Stricter data protection laws and increased demand for GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) experts mean that there is a projected requirement of 3.5-4 million professionals across various industries like banking, fintech, healthcare, and IT service industries.
Data Analytics roles
Large volumes of data have become a goldmine for market research and development. Across industries, data analysts, scientists, and engineers are using generative AI tools to solve various challenges, with job portals now seeing more than 80,000 vacancies for these roles across domains. If you can master tools like Power BI, Spark, and Python, getting hired for such a role will not take much time.
Technical writer
You may not bother to read the user manual you get with your fridge, but technical documentation for software remains an extremely important part of the software implementation process. You can always develop the flair for writing and designing, while using your reasoning and analytical skills to create customized user manuals, API docs, and other knowledge-based content for various multinational companies. Despite automation in the sector, the human touch here is highly appreciated, with many freelancing opportunities also available.
Technical/corporate trainer
If you are good at explaining technical concepts to a non-technical audience, becoming a corporate trainer can be a good option. Various EdTech and IT companies routinely hire ex-engineers to design courses and host webinars to train their staff in the latest technologies, and here’s where your IT expertise can help you.
Quality assurance/test automation engineer
Testing software before deployment remains a crucial step, and IT engineers can smoothly transition to the role. Even though automation has helped, the demand for skilled professionals in Selenium (Java), Playwright (JavaScript), and API testing remains high, especially in IT companies.
Presales engineer/technical sales
If you have the combination of soft skills and technical skills to upsell and cross-sell products and features, this field can be a strong option. IT infrastructure, cloud computing, AI, and industrial automation sectors have a high demand for such roles, and companies regularly seek candidates who can present their software solutions to potential clients well.
Freelancer consultant (IT, AI, automation)
There is a flood of short- and medium-term consulting gigs on leading freelance portals like Fiverr and Upwork. Here, you can deploy your skills to meet the deliverables your client may need- API integrations, Python bots, or data migration, as required. Though this may be a stopgap measure, it will add weight to your resume as well.
Project manager/business analyst
There is strong demand for a product/ product manager and a business analyst, someone who knows the entire software life cycle, user flows, and the technical gaps that need to be addressed. These roles bridge the gap between the management, technical teams, and the end users, helping to keep product management on track and on time. India has a high demand for such roles across IT and software, manufacturing, construction, and various other niches, with vacancies reaching up to 4 million by 2030.
Low-Code/No-Code Solutions Architect
Many enterprises are now moving away from custom-made internal tools towards industry-ready platforms like ServiceNow, Salesforce, or Microsoft Power Apps. You can use your technical skills to implement complex login and integration requirements faster than a non-technical user can do so. Many clients across banking, finance, healthcare, and government sectors prefer these solution architects as they do not have the time for custom software development.
