The fast-paced tech industry is growing and changing across Ireland and the world, along with the jobs in the sector - here are five tech jobs you probably didn't know existed.

There is a seemingly never-ending supply of people looking to invest in the next big tech device, platform or program ready to change how we live our lives.

Not every job within the industry is straightforward, but then again there are roles you may not have even thought existed.

Researchers from FDM Group, whose mission is to bring people and technology together by providing services in the recruit, train, and deploy sector, conducted research to reveal this list of five tech jobs you probably didn't know existed: 

1. Drone operator 

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Drones have become an increasingly prevalent part of our lives - being used on both a personal and commercial level, for making YouTube videos, shooting movies, or simply as a hobby. But it wasn’t always like this. To begin with, drones were used strictly for industry, army, and governmental needs. 

Fast forward to 2022, the usage of drones has exploded with the advancement of technology, and the application of drones in various sectors is now worth around €114 billion and counting  (Seed Scientific). With this growth, the opportunities to own, operate and work with drones for a living have risen exponentially. 

Expertise with drones opens up opportunities to work in a multitude of industries, such as film and television, doing drone-assisted photography and filmmaking. Drones are also used in agriculture to help with crop surveying and 3D modelling. Additionally, drones can even stretch to things such as drone-assisted rooftop inspections for real estate companies, and emergency services when aiding help with search and rescue missions. 

Typical entry requirements: The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) supervises and implements the Regulation in Ireland.

2. Blockchain Analyst

While analyst roles are common across the tech industry. One, in particular, may be new to you: the blockchain analyst. As one of the fastest-growing technologies today, the blockchain has made waves across the industry and is used in tech such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs. 

Although, despite the heavy investment into the blockchain industry, many of us are still unfamiliar with it, or the jobs that are involved. In essence, the technology behind the blockchain decentralises transactions and confirms transactions securely. With this, the technology requires a specialist who can review and analyse the data, and create blockchain-based solutions for organisations. 

With the potential of blockchain to be used across all sorts of businesses and technologies, it’s highly likely that the demand for this type of role will continue to grow greatly. As a more niche job, salaries are also typically high.

3. White Hat Hackers

It’s likely that you are familiar with hackers, but have you heard of ‘white hat’ hackers? While you may picture illegal activity, destroying corporations or spamming your inbox, ‘white hat’ hackers provide an ethical component to hacking, which is often construed as a negative, invasive, and illegal activity. 

By contrast, white hat hackers are the ‘good guys’, with their overall purpose to uncover security failings in your system in order to help you safeguard your business from dangerous hackers. Companies hire white hat hackers to stress test their security systems, using methods ‘black hat’ hackers would use to uncover any issues. White Hats are one of the reasons large organisations typically have less downtime and experience fewer issues with their websites.

While you probably won’t see job advertisements for white hat hackers, you will see roles posted under information security analyst, cyber security analyst, network security analyst, or intrusion detection analyst. If you’re interested in this career path, skills usually include the ability to code, knowledge of operating systems, and computer networking, to name a few. 

4. Meme Creator 

Who doesn’t love a good meme? Most of us have shared, been sent, or laughed at a relatable meme at some point in our lives. But, who is responsible for making these comical internet tidbits? Well, you may be surprised to learn some people do this as their full-time job. 

Currently, on Linkedin in the UK, there are over 80 jobs requiring meme creation in the job description. In this, there are big names like Channel4 and Twitch looking for experts to help them out. 

Why bother creating memes in your business? If you decide to utilise memes in your marketing efforts, it can increase your reach, boost brand awareness, and prove you are an engaging and fun company to work with. If you want to learn more about meme creation, there are plenty of platforms out there to get started, including Canva and Adobe. 

5. Video game tester 

Becoming a video game tester may sound like a childhood fantasy, but it is in fact a real career. In the UK alone, the video game market has come to be valued at €6.2bn, making it a fast-growing and extremely lucrative industry (Statista). 

With more than 2.34 billion gamers playing globally, there are billions of people looking for the next big game, and it’s up to video game testers to help them succeed. Although you may assume game testers simply play games all day, the job actually requires a high level of education, with many jobs requiring a degree in computer science. 

The real job of a video game tester is to provide quality assurance of games, identify bugs, and suggest improvements to the programmers. Overall, these testers play a vital part in enhancing the quality and experience of the product before it’s in the hands of the players.