I came across Quantum Computing as career option in 2019 while I was talking to my friend on my last working day at the leading global software solutions provider. Since then I was curious to know more about Quantum computing as the career option.
As Covin-19 pandemic triggered the panic around job security, I started thinking about the career options I could explore. I thought of careers in AI/ML, Cloud, IoT, Consulting, and Blockchain. I was awake around 1am, just thought to check for events happening in the Quantum Computing field. As if I was destined for it, I came across the Qiskit Global Summer School and I immediately registered for it. QGSS was two-week intensive summer school designed to empower the next generation of quantum developers and scientists with the knowledge to explore quantum applications on their own.
IBM did their best to organise the event, publish study material, labs and final projects. It was a great learning for everyone involved. I came across many undergrads who had solid knowledge or understanding of this emerging technology. However, I felt that the audience question regarding career choices was not completely answered. I struggled to find the answer for career options. The jobsites are obsessive to hire people with Masters and Phds in Quantum Physics and related fields. The following image from IBM How to Get a Job in Quantum Computing, Career Panel is very relevant for Careers in Quantum Computing. But keep in mind that career options for one might be different depending on their education, passion and industry experience. Ofcourse, there is no one size fit all.
As I come from Consulting and Software background, I would advise the IT community to focus on their core strengths and build the developement expertise in Qiskit, Python, Cirq, Q#, Amazon Braket, etc. If you are a software architect, think about industrial solutions and architecture to solve business challenges using quantum computing. I see that industry experience is a big void at the moment since everyone is focusing on error correction and buidling hardware to stabilise qubits. If you are creative, you can think about career in UX/UI design. The opportunities would exist for Business analysts, change management, testers. Actually the roles in software would be pretty standards. Security architects and analysts would be in higher demand as analysis would need to be done on security aspects at application, data and infrastucture layer.
For the grads, and undergrads who don’t have enough background in Quantum Computing I would advise to plan and spend next 3 to 6 months in building the knowlege and solid foundation to grab opportunity when it appears. There is a lot material available in Youtube, Qiskit slack, Qiskit.org and public domain.
Hope the dawn of Quantum Computing brings prosperity for everyone!
