Why 2017 will be a boom year for digital, data and tech jobs in Sydney

I’m not analysing any hard data here, but in the last little while I’ve been getting a deep sense of deja vu.

Last October we saw Australia reach an unemployment low of 5.6% and see a huge upswing in the digital, data and tech fields. My intuition tells me another boom is on it’s way this year. Three sectors are set to explode and it’s going to be great for all of us.

SYDNEY’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

Sydney isn’t a Silicon Valley but the investment infrastructure and business models needed to get there have come a long way. In the past, investment money has been thrown at startups without a real look at crucial business fundamentals. These startups didn’t have defined outcomes or proper KPI’s so a lot of money was thrown to the wind.

Investors have since become a little shrewder, a little sharper. Sydney’s startup ecosystem is more systematic than it’s ever been. As a result, it’s growing fast. Mentorship communities have emerged and now foster a culture of innovation and outside-the-box thinking. I’ve never seen such a boom in startup accelerators.

BlueChilli have set a goal of building a $1 billion portfolio by 2020 and are well on their way. Fishburners provides a place for startups to work, share experience, knowledge and skill. In just the last 12 months, Fishburners have doubled to 351 members, with 176 companies. Muru-D are backed by Telstra, a massive investment from a massive Australian corporation. This is just the icing on the cake.

FINTECH

The ecosystem of assistance has helped the Fintech sector grow rapidly too. Look at Stone & Chalk. They’ve pushed development of world-leading Fintech startups into overdrive. On their website alone they’re growing 69 companies. They’re now drawing interest from big investors such as Oracle, AMEX, AMP, ANZ and more.

Another great Fintech example is Australian cloud accounting software provider Reckon who are publically listed. Their new Reckon Loans platform (powered by Prospa) has funded more than a million dollars worth of small startup businesses.

MOBILE & FRONT-END DEVELOPMENT

It’s safe to say, usage of the internet via mobile devices has overtaken usage via desktops. The world’s dominant search engine, Google, now gives favour to mobile optimized websites. Responsive frontend code is where all the action is at.

Any website owner who wants to rank well in search engines will be seeking to make drastic changes to their sites. Or building brand new ones entirely. In turn, the demand for outstanding interface design and high quality frontend coding is greater than ever.

BIG WAVES ARE HERE

Inquiries from international companies who want to set up in Australia have never been greater. Businesses worldwide, especially those from the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore and even Argentina want a piece of Sydney’s exciting tech upswing.

The signs of another boom are here. Companies will likely need to employ a lateral approach to fill the tech resource gap; sponsorship or even contracting part-timers.

Right now, we can’t keep up with the demand for fresh candidates!

2017 is going to be a sensational year, trust me!

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