Dive Brief:

• Technology-related rolls reign over LinkedIn's 2017 emerging jobs report, taking six of the top 10 positions on the list. Machine learning engineers and data scientists topped the list as the rise of AI in 2017 created the need for specialized roles.  
• "Tech is king," according to LinkedIn, and jobs that have the top growth potential are related to technology. The demand is coming from inside and out of the tech industry. And with the tech boom, roles requiring advanced soft skills have emerged, from sales roles to brand developers. "Traditional soft skills like communication and management underpin all of these emerging jobs," according to the report. 
• As new roles are emerging, others are on the decline. Java, for example, is not as sought-after because it is a "legacy" technology skill. Flash-related roles are also on the way out.  

Dive Insight:

The job market may be changing quickly now, but that's nothing compared to what future working populations face. Of those children entering primary school this year, 65% are expected to eventually hold jobs that do not exist yet, the World Economic Forum notes. 

Workers will have to learn skills that prepare them for a shifting market, with education and training pipelines facilitating the development of an adaptable workforce. But that's a tall ask, particularly for technical jobs, where groups struggle to develop diverse talent pipelines that will support the growing market long term. 

With the emergence of advanced technologies, the tech industry and its leaders are faced with unique technical demands but few places to source talent. Some organizations are working to develop promising talent internally and create additional learning opportunities for employees to advance their technical training.

In many cases, workers can thrive in a high-demand talent pool. But on the flip side, many workers could find themselves with skills that become dated quickly. In such a quickly evolving environment, the key is to rethink how skills are marketed and sought.

Rather than assume a technologist will remain in a role long-term, creating a portfolio that shows adaptability and a hunger to keep up with emerging technologies will help technical workers thrive.