Most In-demand Jobs in Silicon Valley

At the Data-Driven meetup last September 27, two visiting VCs from Silicon Valley, Jeff Chung of AME Cloud Ventures and Mike Dauber of Amplify Partners, intimated how the startup world is not getting enough experienced talent in the tech space, or at least not fast enough, if one is to think how everyone is trying to race one another toward market dominance.

The demand is for more experienced and creative problem solvers, but so far, the bootcamps, while effective in filling up entry jobs, are not the classes to find advanced software engineers. Some of the reasons rest on the rising demand as companies venturing into a more technology-driven world and technological demands for A.I. or artificial intelligence and other more advanced apps and software solutions are not yet being met.

The dearth of experienced talent is also why many companies in the US  are actively interviewing promising employees not just from other U.S. states, but from other countries in the world as well. In fact, one of the most pressing issues facing immigration today is the increasing need for companies to obtain an employer-sponsored HB-1 Visa for their foreign assignees, which has never been enough because it gets filled up in weeks, sometimes just days.

What makes these jobs difficult to fill are a number of factors. First, finding a suitable candidate can be tough, because of their stringent standards. Second, as soon as one post finds a match, another opens up. Third, and what may be most challenging, many of these jobs are still in the process of evolving. They have been created to carry out a task or a function that is equally new in the industry; during the early stages, traditional employees like computer programmers can execute them. But as the work evolved and became more specialized, the department heads and their recruiters realize that they have to come up with new specs or qualifications in order to find the most suitable candidate — or the one closest to it.

Not surprisingly, three major factors have a heavy influence on the jobs that are needing to be filled in Silicon Valley: the Internet of Things and its implication on connectivity in all industries, the organization and analysis of tons of data, and programming that will consider hybrids of technologies that will eventually merge.

Here is a list of the most in-demand jobs in Silicon Valley:

Software engineers and/or computer programmers will always be needed.

However, the ones who can ask for a premium and negotiate for higher pay and perks are those who are versed in the programming languages deemed vital to the industry today. Coding Dojo names them as follows: SQL, Java, JavaScript, C#, C ++, Python,and IOS/Swift. Demand for PHP and Ruby on Rails is not as in demand as it was a couple of years ago.

Data scientists, as stated, are among the most sought after.  

They can comb through tons of data streaming through an organization, apply rigorous scientific research methods to its analysis, and come up with interpretations that can help executives make informed decisions. Think of them as the human counterparts of algorithms. They can spot patterns of customers’ shopping behavior, the trends indicating which products will succeed and/or fail in the market, and cities and regions where a particular campaign might work. Data scientists can interpret any information, statistics, and numbers useful to any corporate structure, from marketing, sales, accounting, to top management.

Cybersecurity experts will also be prized recruits, says Lifehacker.

Last year, more than 200,000 jobs  in various locations in the U.S.. were left unfilled — it was not just Silicon Valley that was affected. These vanguards of I.T. security are responsible for setting up the latest systems and protective software shields that can spot — and neutralize — cyber attacks like phishing, hacking, data theft, database intrusion, and many others. This position is likewise an evolving one. What a cybersecurity expert might know today might turn out to be obsolete tomorrow. Hackers pride themselves on continually improving themselves to penetrate the toughest cyber security infrastructure. The seemingly impenetrable it is, the likelier they are to devise new threats to weaken it. Cybersecurity experts must match their ingenuity every single time. They must always keep themselves updated on the latest attack, and create defenses for breaches that may not have been discovered.

Engagement managers might be the least techie among Silicon Valley’s hottest jobs.

However, they must know more than the basics of today’s technology if they are to excel in their own. Engagement managers are people persons who build relationships with their target clients. If they work in marketing and account management, chances are they have to ensure that the customers stay with the company in the long run. They keep these clients engaged by addressing their concerns and affirming their value to the partnership. If engagement managers are assigned to human resources, then they are tasked to keep employee morale up and, along with the different project managers, devise ways and incentives to fuse everyone together to work cohesively as a well oiled-machine.

Engagement managers are valued in Silicon Valley precisely in these two areas.

They can assist sales and marketing in enhancing clients’ satisfaction. Those in HR come up with incentives, programs, training workshops, and other means to motivate the employees and increase their engagement with the company.

Competition, both for customers and talent, remains stiff in these tech companies, even if they belong to the top 20 giants or are regarded as preferred employers. Losing a prized client due to disengagement can significantly affect revenues as well as reputation. In the same way, employee attrition because they felt disempowered can disrupt business continuity and hamper operations; it can also trigger a domino reaction that will lower morale even further.

As global mobility specialists, you will realize in the course of your work that your assignees must have a high level of engagement with their company and their work in order to deliver optimal performance.

Another position that is also becoming more in demand these days, especially in northern California, is the work of the Product Manager. This person leads cross-functional teams from product concept to launch.  

San Jose and San Francisco have earned top marks for recruiting promising candidates with competitive salaries and lifestyle perks like maternity and paternity leaves. Other features that have made them compelling for assignees and their families are an openly diverse culture, temperate weather, healthy living conditions, and wide choices for entertainment and relaxation. The Bay Area, in particular, has been cited for providing attractive flexible incentives  which are not offered by other regions; one of these incentives is comfortable and affordable accommodations.

California Corporate Housing offers attractive options to global professional specialists who will be migrating assignees to Northern California, including Silicon Valley. Visit one of our locations to know more.