Latest news with #FutureofJobsReport2025
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fintech engineering is growing. The job can come with high salaries and energizing work.
Financial technology engineers are in high demand, reflecting innovation in the finance industry. The career can require specialized education but offer high salaries and diverse opportunities. This article is part of "Trends to Bet Your Career On," a series about trending professional opportunities. If you've sent money through an app or deposited a check with your phone, you've used fintech. Fintech, or financial technology, is a vast ecosystem of services and solutions, including payment systems, lending platforms, and cryptocurrencies, that is revolutionizing the way businesses operate and creating promising new career paths. Behind these innovations are fintech engineers who design, build, and maintain the software that powers many modern financial products. Though the role can require specialized education, it offers creative opportunities across finance and tech industries. It's also in high demand. The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025" projected fintech engineers to be the second fastest-growing job over the next five years. Jimmie Lenz, the executive director of Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering's Master of Engineering in fintech program, has nearly thirty years of experience in the financial services industry and has witnessed firsthand the increasing demand for expertise in the field. "The driver behind everything new in finance over the past 30 years has been innovation," Lenz told Business Insider. He added that technological advances continually spur change in the financial world, keeping the role of a fintech engineer both compelling and essential. Stella Zhang, the engineering manager for applied AI and growth at Plaid, a fintech company that connects consumer bank accounts to financial apps, likes that her work is helping make people's financial lives frictionless and intuitive. "This field rewards those who can zoom out to see the big picture while zooming in to perfect the details," Zhang said. "If that kind of multi-scale thinking excites you, you'll thrive in fintech." Working at the cutting edge of finance Lenz said there was immediate demand when Duke's Master of Engineering in Fintech program launched in 2020, and interest has stayed consistent. "The very first year, we probably had eight or 10 applications for every one seat," he said. Fintech engineers are often proficient in various programming languages, blockchain technologies, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Those interested in specializing in fintech can acquire relevant skills through various routes, including intensive, short-term boot camps and specialized degree programs. While undergraduate majors vary, Lenz said he sees many applicants with backgrounds in mathematics, finance, economics, and computer science. He said the opportunity to be in a rapidly evolving field is driving interest in fintech engineering. "Students definitely see their experience as getting to be at the very front wave of things," Lenz said. He said a talented fintech engineer is able to apply their programming and software engineering skills in a financial context, so it's important that his students leave with both technical and contextual information. Zhang found her way to Plaid after "an unconventional journey through finance and tech." She studied quantitative finance at Princeton University and researched computer science and AI at Stanford University. She went on to work at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, Citadel, a hedge fund, and Ironclad, a software company. Zhang said she was drawn to Plaid because it connected all the dots in her career. "At Plaid, I can use my understanding of financial systems to build AI that serves developers and, ultimately, hundreds of millions of end-users," Zhang said. "Working on applied AI in fintech where accuracy, reliability, and security are paramount provides exactly the level of challenge and responsibility that energizes me every day." Lenz said his students have gone on to work in large technology companies, banks, entrepreneurial start-ups, and investment and brokerage firms. Glassdoor's salary estimate for fintech engineers ranges from $109,000 to $170,000 a year, but Lenz said that based on conversations with his former students, the range can sometimes stretch to $200,000. Curiosity is key to a fintech career Kathleen DeRose, the academic director of the Master of Science in Fintech program at New York University, said new advancements like artificial intelligence keep fintech evolving and exciting. The job prospects for fintech engineers "reflect the tech transformations underway," she said. The surge of multibillion-dollar companies in the fintech space also "suggests the prospects are really good," said DeRose. When DeRose speaks with hiring managers and recruiters, she's increasingly hearing a desired characteristic that goes beyond technical skills: curiosity. "You need to have the technical chops, but the ability to learn quickly and have the curiosity to do so is the adaptive power that's wanted," she said. Zhang recommended choosing to work with companies "that give you space to experiment and fail safely." Breakthrough innovations rarely come from prescribed roadmaps, and the best ideas can come from "what if" conversations over coffee, she said. "Most importantly, remember that fintech engineering is about people, not just systems," Zhang said. "Yes, you need to understand distributed systems and API design, but you also need empathy for the small-business owner trying to make payroll or the recent graduate navigating student loans." "The best solutions come from engineers who never forget there's a human on the other end of every product experience," she added. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Fintech engineering is growing. The job can come with high salaries and energizing work.
If you've sent money through an app or deposited a check with your phone, you've used fintech. Fintech, or financial technology, is a vast ecosystem of services and solutions, including payment systems, lending platforms, and cryptocurrencies, that is revolutionizing the way businesses operate and creating promising new career paths. Behind these innovations are fintech engineers who design, build, and maintain the software that powers many modern financial products. Though the role can require specialized education, it offers creative opportunities across finance and tech industries. It's also in high demand. The World Economic Forum's " Future of Jobs Report 2025" projected fintech engineers to be the second fastest-growing job over the next five years. Jimmie Lenz, the executive director of Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering's Master of Engineering in fintech program, has nearly thirty years of experience in the financial services industry and has witnessed firsthand the increasing demand for expertise in the field. "The driver behind everything new in finance over the past 30 years has been innovation," Lenz told Business Insider. He added that technological advances continually spur change in the financial world, keeping the role of a fintech engineer both compelling and essential. Stella Zhang, the engineering manager for applied AI and growth at Plaid, a fintech company that connects consumer bank accounts to financial apps, likes that her work is helping make people's financial lives frictionless and intuitive. "This field rewards those who can zoom out to see the big picture while zooming in to perfect the details," Zhang said. "If that kind of multi-scale thinking excites you, you'll thrive in fintech." Working at the cutting edge of finance Lenz said there was immediate demand when Duke's Master of Engineering in Fintech program launched in 2020, and interest has stayed consistent. "The very first year, we probably had eight or 10 applications for every one seat," he said. Fintech engineers are often proficient in various programming languages, blockchain technologies, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Those interested in specializing in fintech can acquire relevant skills through various routes, including intensive, short-term boot camps and specialized degree programs. While undergraduate majors vary, Lenz said he sees many applicants with backgrounds in mathematics, finance, economics, and computer science. He said the opportunity to be in a rapidly evolving field is driving interest in fintech engineering. "Students definitely see their experience as getting to be at the very front wave of things," Lenz said. He said a talented fintech engineer is able to apply their programming and software engineering skills in a financial context, so it's important that his students leave with both technical and contextual information. Zhang found her way to Plaid after "an unconventional journey through finance and tech." She studied quantitative finance at Princeton University and researched computer science and AI at Stanford University. She went on to work at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, Citadel, a hedge fund, and Ironclad, a software company. Zhang said she was drawn to Plaid because it connected all the dots in her career. "At Plaid, I can use my understanding of financial systems to build AI that serves developers and, ultimately, hundreds of millions of end-users," Zhang said. "Working on applied AI in fintech where accuracy, reliability, and security are paramount provides exactly the level of challenge and responsibility that energizes me every day." Lenz said his students have gone on to work in large technology companies, banks, entrepreneurial start-ups, and investment and brokerage firms. Glassdoor's salary estimate for fintech engineers ranges from $109,000 to $170,000 a year, but Lenz said that based on conversations with his former students, the range can sometimes stretch to $200,000. Curiosity is key to a fintech career Kathleen DeRose, the academic director of the Master of Science in Fintech program at New York University, said new advancements like artificial intelligence keep fintech evolving and exciting. The job prospects for fintech engineers "reflect the tech transformations underway," she said. The surge of multibillion-dollar companies in the fintech space also "suggests the prospects are really good," said DeRose. When DeRose speaks with hiring managers and recruiters, she's increasingly hearing a desired characteristic that goes beyond technical skills: curiosity. "You need to have the technical chops, but the ability to learn quickly and have the curiosity to do so is the adaptive power that's wanted," she said. Zhang recommended choosing to work with companies "that give you space to experiment and fail safely." Breakthrough innovations rarely come from prescribed roadmaps, and the best ideas can come from "what if" conversations over coffee, she said. "Most importantly, remember that fintech engineering is about people, not just systems," Zhang said. "Yes, you need to understand distributed systems and API design, but you also need empathy for the small-business owner trying to make payroll or the recent graduate navigating student loans." "The best solutions come from engineers who never forget there's a human on the other end of every product experience," she added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's career advice to young professionals in the age of AI is what you would least expect
At a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries and eliminating jobs, Elon Musk's career guidance doesn't align with the usual advice from the tech world. Despite being at the forefront of AI development, the billionaire entrepreneur isn't urging young professionals to specialize in data science or machine learning. Instead, he offers something far less expected: he tells them to follow what feels meaningful and useful, even if AI may eventually outperform them. In a recent CNBC interview, Musk reflected on how he advises his own children, some of whom are preparing to enter the workforce. He acknowledged the difficulty of giving career advice in such an unpredictable environment. Rather than pointing them toward safe or high-demand roles, he encourages them to pursue work they enjoy—something they find fulfilling and beneficial to society. Facing AI's Impact Head-On Musk's views carry added weight given his influence on the future of work. As the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and xAI, he's not just a witness to technological change—he's helping drive it. From reusable rockets and electric vehicles to brain–machine interfaces and AI research, Musk's companies are reshaping how we live and work. Yet he admits that even he questions the value of his relentless work. He shared how he sometimes wonders whether the sacrifices he makes—time lost with friends and family—are worth it if AI eventually does it all better. For him, staying motivated in this era means deliberately choosing not to overthink the long-term implications. He emphasized that people should focus on projects that excite them and make a positive difference, regardless of whether machines can replicate those efforts. A Different Kind of Urgency Musk's advice contrasts sharply with warnings from others in the industry. Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, for instance, believes adaptability is the most important trait going forward. Drawing on the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, Kamath points out that 34% of all workplace tasks could be automated by 2030. He urges professionals to continuously upskill and shift away from traditional education models, which he believes are rapidly losing relevance. — nikhilkamathcio (@nikhilkamathcio) The WEF data predicts 92 million jobs could be displaced globally, while 170 million new roles may emerge. However, Kamath warns that only those who constantly learn and evolve will benefit from this Where Kamath stresses survival through learning, Musk focuses on meaning. He raises deeper questions about purpose in a future where AI systems can do everything better, faster, and cheaper. In his view, the real challenge isn't just about career security—it's about staying emotionally and mentally engaged in a world where one's contributions might feel replaceable. For Musk, fulfilment comes not from outperforming machines, but from doing work that aligns with personal interest and social good.
Economic Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
India's coding boom faces AI disruption as new tech reshapes software jobs
Reuters Many sources point to India having more than 5 mn software engineers. Microsoft's GitHub puts the number of developers on their platform in India at 15.4 mn, poised to cross the US by 2027 to become the largest nation of coders and 10 mn graduates every year, among them at least half a million software engineers, the problem of unemployment looms large as a result of AI being poised to take over routine tasks. While employability, owing to skill deficits, remains an issue, the middle-class aspiration to get a lucrative software job lives on, undiminished. So, when former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says that AI will automate and replace most programming jobs in the near future, alarm bells are bound to go off. Schmidt believes that AI is evolving at an unprecedented rate, and is far more sophisticated and advanced than the public perceives. He attributes this to self-improving AI systems increasing capabilities exponentially. Societal unpreparedness in terms of institutional and legal frameworks is a worry, too. OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang have voiced the same views as Schmidt, the nuanced differences being about immediacy, level of replacement and coding World Economic Forum 'Future of Jobs Report 2025', surveying 1,000 companies in 55 economies across 22 industries, underscores that AI and automation will transform 86% of businesses by 2030. WEF also predicts that 170 mn jobs will be created, while 92 mn jobs will be displaced. And that's what countries must focus on - the new jobs being created - to shake off the panic relating to supplanting current jobs. Specialists in big data, AI/ML and application developers will be among the fastest-growing jobs, followed by cybersecurity, tech literacy and network expertise. In the words of TCS CEO K Krithivasan, the traditional software development lifecycle we are used to will evolve, and new roles may come into play. AI tools now deliver lower-level plumbing work, monotonous code generation and routine debugging very well. But they cannot yet replace judgement emanating from long experience and deep domain knowledge, tested in scalable, complex, real-use conditions. Experts put it in perspective when they reference race conditions in code - like when two or more threads try to access the same code concurrently, and the result is contingent on which thread acts first, calling for timely human intervention from those with proficiency over language, business context and the AI onslaught, there are many areas countries could focus on where humans perform better. Like AI interaction design, about the iterative refining of prompts to achieve optimised outcomes in coding and debugging. Or data curation, involving annotation, labelling data, tagging images and transcribing audio for training AI the data annotation market alone is expected to expand from $6.5 bn to $20 bn by 2030, and from $80 mn to $500 mn in India in the same augurs well that the employment levels of annotators, quality controllers and project leaders are already up from 20,000 in 2022 to 70,000 today, acknowledging the shift underway from writing code to managing data intelligently. Allied fields include AI system architecture, ethics and governance, and cybersecurity for AI systems. Also, designing systems incorporating human oversight and nuanced interventions to prevent AI hallucination and recent 49% acquisition of Scale AI, a data company, that puts its valuation at $29 bn, highlights that data is as strategic as what next? The WEF report indicates that 47% of work done primarily by humans (and the rest by machines) will progressively decrease, but the 30% that involves collaborative man-machine effort will increase. Some aspects will make a big difference in this evolving world - collectively, our ability to use AI as augmented intelligence and our frontier thinking ability to push the limits of reasoning. At an individual level, producing graduates in the arts, sciences and engineers with basic skills and a little more - critical thinking to define the right problems, problem-solving skills, industry expertise and continuous can't afford to be left behind by the very revolution we ignited. The writer is founder, ThinkStreet (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Rumblings at the top of Ola Electric The hybrid vs. EV rivalry: Why Maruti and Mahindra pull in different directions. What's best? How Safexpress bootstrapped its way to build India's largest PTL Express business Zee promoters have a new challenge to navigate. And it's not about funding or Sebi probe. Newton vs. industry: Inside new norms that want your car to be more fuel-efficient Stock Radar: UltraTech Cements hit a fresh record high in July; what should investors do – book profits or buy the dip? F&O Radar | Deploy Bear Put Spread in Nifty to gain from index correction Weekly Top Picks: These stocks scored 10 on 10 on Stock Reports Plus
IOL News
14-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Bridging the skills gap in SA starts with reimagining its approach to education
As the world hurtles toward a more digital, automated and interconnected future, the question that should be on our minds as a nation is - 'Are graduates being adequately prepared with the right skills to survive and thrive, now and in the future?' Nearly half of young South Africans are not in formal employment, education or training and those graduates that are, aren't being adequately prepared with the right skills to not just survive but thrive. We need to reframe the approach we are taking to teaching and learning in schools, the previous traditional academic pathways no longer give graduates the skills required for employment and too many young South Africans are still entering the job market underprepared. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, employers anticipate that 39% of core skills required in the job market will change by 2030. Technological proficiencies such as AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy are projected to see rapid growth in demand. Human skills like creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, curiosity, social influence and environmental stewardship are also expected to rise in importance, underlining the importance of thinking about the increasing rise of AI in terms of a human-in-the-loop approach. 'Most universities are still largely geared toward traditional academic disciplines and theoretical learning, and while these remain important, they don't always translate into employability. What's needed is a mindset shift, from qualification-first thinking to skills-first education,' says Dr. Gill Mooney, Dean Academic Development and Support at The IIE, including Varsity College and Vega, educational brands of the Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). To bridge this growing gap between what the world of work demands and what education currently provides, South Africa must urgently reassess how and what is being taught in classrooms and lecture theatres alike. A future-focused education system can no longer be built solely on rote learning, or memorisation and limited application of theoretical knowledge, but must equip young people with the skills to think critically, adapt quickly and engage meaningfully, particularly in uncertain and rapidly evolving environments. Analytical thinking, resilience and emotional intelligence are no longer 'nice-to-haves', but are the very qualities employers now prioritise alongside technical skills like data literacy, AI proficiency and digital communication. Yet, in a country where youth unemployment remains stubbornly high and nearly half of 15- to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education or training (NEET), too many young South Africans are still entering the job market underprepared. This is not a problem unique to South Africa, but it is one that must be tackled head-on, says Mooney. 'It requires a shift in the philosophy of teaching itself. That means moving from qualification-first models to skills-first thinking, where knowledge is contextualised, debated and applied. It means placing more value on curiosity, creativity and problem-solving than on reproducing and applying facts in limited contexts.' Some local institutions have started responding to this challenge by reimagining what higher education looks like. For example, the IIE's teaching models across its campuses — including IIE Varsity College, IIE Vega and IIE MSA — are being adapted to centre learning on dialogue, engagement and real-world problem-solving. Students are encouraged to explore multiple perspectives and to test theory through diverse applications, whether in collaborative projects, simulated work environments or industry engagements. 'We must move from simply transmitting knowledge to fostering the kind of thinking that allows students to navigate ambiguity, work effectively in teams and continue learning long after graduation,' says Mooney. In a labour market where change is the only constant, South Africa's education system must evolve from producing graduates with more theoretical knowledge, to producing graduates who can adapt, lead and create, in order to build a more inclusive, resilient and future-ready workforce.
