The 5 Biggest Buzzwords in Tech Right Now

The tech job jargon that attracts top applicants is as subject to changing tastes as the buzzwords found in any industry, perhaps even more so given the constant evolution of technology. Big data, virtual teams, and synergy are on the out, while a new crop of buzzwords is climbing in popularity, according to a study by startup Textio.

The company looked at more than 500,000 tech job listings to find out what new terms are cropping up and which ones are waning in popularity, signaling the hottest trends in tech these days, reported Bloomberg. Textio tracked over 50,000 unique phrases common in tech job descriptions and found the words with the biggest changes in usage, both positive and negative, over the last year.

Textio, which conducted the study using its language-analysis software, took into account three main factors: number of applicants for job description using the phrase, percentage of applicants who appropriately qualify for the gig, and how long it took to fill the job.

The top five rising buzzwords this year for tech jobs are:

1. Artificial intelligence

This is the fastest rising buzzword this year, nearly quintupling among the best-performing job listings over the last six months.

2. Real-time data

It's about using the latest data, not just lots of it unlike big data's recent reign.

3. High availability

This means building software that's always up and functioning and never goes down, a welcome technical challenge for engineers.

4. Robust and scalable

The combination of these two words in top job listings has tripled over the last two months. It means building software that's powerful and wide-reaching.

5. Inclusive

Other synonyms that have been popular in the past—diverse and diversity—are losing their shine. Inclusivity is the latest term of choice.