The cooling economy has sent the Estonian IT job market into a downturn, and finding a new job can be difficult even for experienced developers, let alone people fresh out of university. One solution may be to look into the low-code sector, where there is currently a glaring shortage of specialists.
While classical programming requires writing code snippets to create applications, low-code platforms can be used through a visual editor, and programming skills are not even directly necessary. The developer can use the editor to pull together different blocks, combine them in the way they want, specify the appropriate logic and generate applications through it.
According to Raimo Seero, CTO at Uptime, the development of low-code platforms has come so far in the last few years that companies can now actually use them in their work. “Microsoft PowerApps, SharePoint, Mendix and other systems have matured enough to be very cost-effective to deploy in certain areas,” he said. “As a result, the cost of building applications has come down significantly and they have become affordable for companies to manage.”
A good opportunity to stand out
Uptime has been using SharePoint to build internal systems for its customers for over a decade. “The economic climate is tough, so every business should be thinking about how to move forward more efficiently. SharePoint has proven itself as a platform that can help achieve customer goals at a lower cost,” said Seero. In addition to SharePoint, other low-code platforms have come to the market that allow applications to be created in situations where SharePoint is not suitable.
Uptime sees a clear need for new low-code specialists to deliver even more value to its customers. However, according to Seero, the labour market has not yet responded to this change, and specialists are hard to find.
“This could be a good opportunity for those just entering the IT sector or currently looking for a new job. Knowing a few low-code platforms would give these IT professionals a significant advantage over others and a high chance of getting a job right away,” he said.
The skills would be particularly beneficial for junior-level developers, who are currently finding it very difficult to get a job because of the fierce competition in other IT sectors. “A junior developer with Java skills, for example, will be immediately overshadowed by other jobseekers because there are already many experienced Java specialists on the market. However, senior specialists with low-code experience are practically non-existent,” described Uptime’s CTO.
Learning on your own
So what should one learn and where should they start? According to Seero, it is worthwhile to familiarise oneself with Microsoft products that many companies in Estonia have started using, such as SharePoint or PowerApps. “Microsoft offers a number of in-depth online training courses on its platforms, which are worth looking into,” he says.
“Check out the low-code platforms, try creating sample applications and see if this style of working suits you. If you feel it’s for you, then let us know and apply for a job. We are ready to train and bring up new talent interested in working with these platforms,” said Seero.
According to him, there is no need to worry about the salary level of a low-code specialist being any different from other developers. “It’s not a role with a glass ceiling – if you show an interest in the field and can add value to the company, it can be a very rewarding career choice,” Seero concluded.