It’s 2020. A new decade. A new chapter in the era of technology and the internet. Emerging Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are starting to make their mark on the world, and their presence is felt in ways you might not even realize.
Every time you prompt your smartphone to text or call a friend or family member by using voice activation, you are using AI. This is a machine learning process that allows our smartphone to know who to call or text, or even open a mobile app because it has learned what our unique voice sounds like, in a plethora of international languages.
Have you ever wondered who is building these innovative technologies? And how did these forefront technology professionals get into building AI and machine learning software?
Your first reaction might be to assume that they learned their skills through traditional methods like earning a computer science degree from a four-year university, or even a two-year program at a local community college. Maybe you have heard the stories, or even know a tech prodigy who taught him or herself how to code and build incredible tech products.
However, you might be surprised to know that many new technology professionals have learned, or are learning their new skills through short-term, intensive coding bootcamps. If you want to make a career switch into the booming tech industry, then these programs can teach you everything you need to know, all in less than a year.
These programs come in various formats, including in-person, online, self-paced and part-time. And, many of these schools also offer diverse means of funding like income sharing agreements (ISA), where you are able to enroll and complete the program with an understanding that you will pay the affordable tuition back after you get a job in the industry.
Let’s take a look at some of the emerging technology skills that you can learn through bootcamps.
Digital Marketing
As more people become “cord cutters,” and ditch their expensive cable packages for online streaming platforms, television commercials are becoming a much less effective form of marketing. Thus, companies are investing into digital marketing. Companies are starting to make the switch to online means as well, and are now gearing a large part of their marketing budget toward the Internet. This includes banner ads on websites and even social media ads.
SEO
As marketing is switching to Internet-based methods, it is becoming imperative for businesses to invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the process of strategically creating content on your website so that it will help it rank higher in the results yielded by search engines. Search engines like Google use a ranking system based on relevance for deciding which websites to display first. SEO Managers are skilled digital marketing professionals who create content using specific keywords that are proven to help a website rank high enough to be one of the first websites you see when you search on Google or another popular search engine.
Social Media
Social Media marketing has really taken off in the past few years, as it is an all but free method of reaching your target audience. Where companies once paid millions for a two-minute commercial time slot on a capable network, they can now hire a skilled Social Media Manager and accomplish even more through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Social Media Managers are skilled digital marketers who lead social media campaigns based around what to post about, when to post it, and, even more importantly, where to post the content.
Email Marketing
Have you ever received an email from an online retailer whose site you haven’t visited in a while? You probably got that email because that company uses AI that tracks who is visiting their website, and compares it to a list of customers who have provided their email address when they signed up for a membership. This AI software sees which members are visiting the site, and which are not, and then sends an automated marketing email to the customers who haven’t visited the site in a while. All of this is done through automated means, meaning companies don’t even have to lift a finger to get info on their products, sales, and promotions in front of their customers.
The digital marketing industry is growing steadily, with an 8 percent growth rate expected by 2028.
Digital marketing professionals range in skill sets, and specialize in different areas of digital marketing, but generally speaking, Digital Marketers can enjoy a comfortable salary, with the national average in the United States being over $71,000. Many digital marketing professionals make $93,000 a year.