Big Data the Hot Skill for 2015

John Krautzel
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Demand for big data specialists is rising, according to predictions made by the executive search firm CTPartners. Professionals who have experience working with big data are likely to have plenty of opportunities in cyber security and corporate governance in 2015 and beyond.

Brian Sullivan, CEO of CTPartners, described the job market for big data specialists as "highly competitive," with companies battling against each other to attract the top talent. Nearly three-quarters of the companies surveyed by CTPartners agreed that the current environment is "fierce," and it is expected that competition for professionals with analytical skills will remain high throughout 2015.

The predicted high demand for big data specialists in 2015 is, in part, the result of the record number of IPOs in 2014. The record amount of IPOs indicates that there are many new public companies looking for skilled professionals to drive their organizations forward. Issuing public shares means that a company is growing and can often be a precursor to taking on new talent.

Professionals who have experience working with big data can search for jobs in a wide variety of industries, ranging from health to finance. Some of the hottest jobs of 2015 are likely to be in cyber security, which is a field that has grown in importance following recent high-profile online security breaches. Job titles that are expected to be in demand in 2015 include digital risk officer and chief information security officer. These cyber security experts need to be comfortable working with big data so they can analyze their organization's security situation and assess the possible risks.

Big data also has huge implications for health care. With ever-greater volumes of patient data becoming available for physicians and patients themselves to use, the demand for professionals who can put this data to good use is growing quickly. Big data is particularly important for population health management, a field in which data analysts try to identify the effects of various interventions on population health. By using big data to understand population-wide health trends, government bodies and other large institutions can take action to improve the treatment, and particularly the prevention, of serious health conditions.

Of course, security will also be a big concern in this new data-driven form of health care. Sensitive patient data will need to be securely stored, transmitted and shared with relevant professionals without exposing patients to the possibility of their private medical information being leaked. Once again, cyber security experts will be highly in demand.

Big data is predicted to be the hottest skill in the 2015 job market. Professionals who have experience of working with big data should consider whether they want to take advantages of the incredible opportunities that are likely to be open to them in the near future.

 

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