The Top 5 Jobs Startups Are Hiring for in 2016

The U.S. labor market is at a unique inflection point.

Unemployment remains low by historical standards, yet supply and demand remain stubbornly out of balance.

Job openings are near 10-year highs, yet candidates are struggling to find the right fit, both culturally and professionally.

I recently spoke with Elise Voss, CEO and co-founder of UpScored, a New York City-based career platform that uses data science to help candidates discover personalized job recommendations.

According to the company, there has been a paradigm shift in what people want out of their careers. The need for more responsibility, faster career progression, and flexible work hours has become more important than ever before.

Given the change in candidate wants and needs, the interest level in working for startups has accelerated significantly over the past few years.

UpScored recently took a deeper look at trends in the startup job market. The team analyzed tens of thousands of data points across job descriptions at the top 200 startups, including Airbnb, Slack, and Snapchat, to find the top job openings in January.

They also analyzed both required and preferred skills, work experience, and degrees across each category.

These are the Top 5 most prevalent job openings and related skills in the startup world:

1. Software Engineer

While it isn’t surprising that Software Engineer made the top of the list, it is notable that demand for technical talent at startups hasn’t decelerated. Can you guess the most desired coding language among the top 200 startups? Python came in at No. 1, with 42 percent of Software Engineering job descriptions listing the language. Close seconds were JavaScript (38 percent) and Java (35 percent). As for degrees, 20 percent of Software Engineer openings either require or prefer a master’s.

2. Account Manager

Salesforce still dominates the requirements for this role. A whopping 50 percent of Account Manager descriptions listed Salesforce as a skill. Needless to say, it’s worth including Salesforce on your résumé if you have the relevant experience. Additionally, MBA requirements are a hot topic, with Sheryl Sandberg having commented that “MBAs are not necessary at Facebook” in a recent interview. Only 7 percent of Account Manager roles prefer a MBA, versus 25 percent of Business Development and Strategy roles, which came in lower on UpScored’s list of top job openings.

3. Data and Analytics Professional

With the growth of new technology, the amount of data to analyze has grown at an exorbitant pace. According to UpScored, data science and analytics is starting to infiltrate every part of the organization–from sales and operations to talent acquisition. Similar to Software Engineering roles, Python is a top skill included in 53 percent of data job descriptions. SQL is still required for most roles, though with big data technology becoming more prevalent, the skill set is evolving. On a different note, approximately 37 percent of these roles prefer a master’s, while 13 percent prefer a PhD. With the proliferation of data science bootcamps like Metis and NYC Data Science Academy, the preference for master’s and PhD degrees may decrease over the next few years.

4. HR and Talent Acquisition Professional

The growing focus on “people analytics” is showing up in the numbers, and the importance placed on this role has certainly increased in the last year. What’s interesting is that 49 percent of the openings analyzed in UpScored’s study are looking for candidates with experience in “technology recruiting.” In fact, more job descriptions listed “technology” than general sourcing (46 percent) and interviewing (40 percent). Another trend to watch in recruiting is social media, as approximately 15 percent of Talent Acquisition descriptions now require social-media skills.

5. Product Manager

Product Manager is an ambiguous title that can require a range of different skills depending on the company and specific position. That said, the primary skills required for this role include product strategy, launch, and development (in that order). Approximately 43 percent of Product Manager descriptions either require or prefer a computer science background. Additionally, experience with Agile software development methodologies is preferred in 25 percent of the roles, with Scrum and Kanban preferred in 7 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Interested in a role above, but lacking the required skills? Luckily, there are a myriad of both online and offline resources for candidates. Companies such as General Assembly offer in-person courses for beginners and intermediaries, while sites like Coursera, InfluenceTree, and edX offer a wide range of MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses). Now that you know the data, there’s no better time than the present.

Originally posted on Inc.

Leonard Kim is Managing Partner at InfluenceTree. At InfluenceTree, Leonard and his team teach you how to build your (personal or business) brand, get featured in publications and growth hack your social media following.

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