Becoming a competitive and competent digital creative in 2024 requires a raft of skills.
While there are great existing platforms and free apps like editing and video animation tool software that can assist the modern creative greatly, there are higher level skills that become essential to stand above the pack. How do you make your mark in an industry that’s filled with like-minded innovators?
We’re here to answer the question, or at least how you can get started to become a great digital creative.
Here are the leading skills you should learn to become a valuable asset for your next employer – or your own digital creative business in the tech field.
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Table of Contents
1. Creativity Itself
Technology is only capable of doing so much. As we are seeing with primitive AI generators, it struggles to harness the human side of content creation; imaginative thinking. Creativity bridges the gap between what technology is able to bring to the table and what can be achieved in tandem with a sharp human mind.
Creative skills to develop include being able to generate new ideas, innovate modern solutions, improve upon existing ideas, reframe problems and adapt easily to change, which is especially important in the tech industry. For those that fear AI, these are skills artificial intelligence will never truly master.
Developing your creative side will assist hugely in career development. 87% of today’s executives believe innovation is essential to their organisation’s success and growth, so focus on your creativity to give yourself a competitive advantage.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)
While creativity is an essential skill for the modern tech worker, it would be foolish to ignore the ongoing innovations in AI and ML which are capable of achieving more by the day.
The important skill to learn here is delegation. Try to get AI to accomplish tasks that demand a high level of unique creativity and it is likely to fail. Consumers will be able to spot machine generated content with ease. However, AI and ML are able to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up your time elsewhere. ML algorithms can learn a set of rules by studying a large amount of existing data.
These technologies can be highly effective in time management and taking care of menial tasks, but they also need to be monitored as they continue to develop. Businesses are investing a lot into these technologies, with machine learning spending growing a whopping 230% between 2019 and 2023. So, creative techs need to be ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest AI and ML innovations, especially in preparation for job interviews.
3. Graphic Design
Graphic design ties into AI and its (limited) capabilities. Those that think machines will render the graphic design industry dead and buried may be in for a rude shock.
Designers are able to gain a deep understanding of a brand and bring it to life with logos, colours, typography, illustration, photography, graphic elements and more. While AI can help automate some of the creative tasks, it is never going to have that same level of human understanding or empathy crucial in successful branding campaigns.
4. Technical Writing & Editing
The demand for technical writing is expected to grow in the US alone by 10-11% by 2026, which may seem unexpected considering the high volume of AI text generators out there such as ChatGPT, including platforms from leading companies like Google.
That is because technical writers have the ability to simplify complex information. They possess strong research skills, attention to detail and proficiency in grammar and style that collide with creative talents to deliver engaging, effective content that machines cannot put together. Aside from this, they can work with AI text generators to edit and ensure accuracy.
In the tech field, you’re responsible for the creation of important documentation like manuals, instructions and reports. You need to be able to deliver highly complex information in a readable and engaging manner.
5. Cloud Computing
The migration into the cloud has become big business, with companies spending over a million annually on this kind of software, according to a recent report.
This is not a singular skill requirement, rather a complete skill set that will enable the modern digital creative to be completely cloud savvy.
These skills include a strong working knowledge of programming languages, cloud service platform knowledge, database management skills, a deep understanding of Linux, advanced information security skills and the ability to work with Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and DevOps.
6. Cybersecurity Analytics
Cybersecurity is paramount as the world becomes more and more connected, with hackers and cybercriminals finding new methods and intrusion points to cripple entire networks, syphon off funds and steal all-important consumer data.
Despite the best efforts of companies to fight back against these hackers, there were more cyber attacks on Indian sites in the first two months of 2022 than there were in the whole of 2018. Two internet users had their data stolen every second the same year, and this number is only rising.
Despite this, most people working in the digital space only possess a theoretical or shallow depth of expertise in cybersecurity. With comprehensive cybersecurity analytics, your network security can detect threats before they impact your system. Having a strong working knowledge in this field is vital to prevent intrusions and attacks for you and your company.
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With these skills in your pocket, you can become a complete, all-round digital creation expert that is an asset to any organisation or your own company. Remember to leverage AI and ML, but do not rely on them. Harness the technical side of the industry to stand out, and continue developing your creativity to come up with innovative ideas.