40% of tech bosses looking for crypto and AI skills in new grads

Want to land a tech job in 2021? These are the technology skills bosses are looking for when hiring new grads

Artificial Intelligence and crypto technologies, such as Bitcoin, are among the top technology skills and knowledge areas that tech bosses are looking for in new graduates, according to a recent survey of Chief Information Officers (CIOs).

The research was conducted by a global professional services firm called Genpact which specialises in the digital transformation of large organisations. Genpact surveyed 500 CIOs and other senior IT professionals from all over the world, across a range of industries including finance, healthcare, big tech, retail and more.

One of the questions asked was: what are the top skills or knowledge areas you will be looking for when hiring college graduates?

Almost half – 41% – of the 500 CIOs named Artificial Intelligence as a key emerging skill they’re looking for in new grads. Thirty-two percent of the CIOs named crypto technologies like Bitcoin as a top skill – but that number increases to 40% of the 50 Aussie CIOs surveyed in the group.

Cryptocurrency is a new, decentralised digital form of money based on blockchain technology (see blockchain explained). Bitcoin is the best known and most-popular form of cryptocurrency, but there are new crypto ‘coins’ released all the time – Elon Musk is famously backing one called dogecoin at the moment – and cryptocurrency is only one application of blockchain technology.

Other popular skills included Internet of Things (42% of global CIOs) and Cloud Systems (37% of global CIOs).

The research was presented at the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium this week.

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Author: Gemma Chilton

Gemma has a degree in journalism from the University of Technology, Sydney and spent a semester studying environmental journalism in Denmark. She has been writing about science and engineering for over a decade.

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