How Can You Put Your Knowledge of the Latest Tech to the Test

If you enjoy following the latest technology trends, you may wonder where you can make use of that knowledge.

01:08 03 November 2023

If you enjoy following the latest technology trends, you may wonder where you can make use of that knowledge. Could you use your understanding of how technology can affect the markets or pass your specialism onto others? Let's see.

Invest in or Trade the Best Technology Shares

The stock market is where many people seek to make a profit from all the biggest technology firms. A start-up that has a great idea or is going to revolutionise the world could make short-term or long-term gains. A lot of investors are interested in artificial intelligence (AI) right now, with this booming industry helping to drive up the overall technology sector in the last year or so.

Previous tech bubbles have caused many new investors to be wary of this part of the stock market, although analysis suggests that there isn’t an AI bubble right now. As with all relatively new and fast-moving areas, there are going to be winners and losers among the newest companies, so you need to have as much information to hand as possible if you're going to try to predict which ones will grow in the future.

An alternative approach involves looking at the biggest technology firms and deciding whether you believe that the overall sector will rise in value. The S&P500 is a stock market index that includes 500 of the biggest companies based in the US, with its strong technology focus seen in the inclusion of names like Apple, Amazon, Tesla and Microsoft.

After getting comfortable with the stock market, many look to actively trade it using a variety of methods. You can simply buy and sell individual stocks when your research suggests they may be cheap or overvalued, you can try something more techy like building a trading bot, or have a go at futures trading. In the case of the S&P500, traders can speculate on the future performance of the index with the ES1 futures contract. Futures contracts are ideal for trading as you can take both sides of a trade, going short if you think the price will go down. You can also use leverage if you have a higher risk tolerance and in some cases trade the movement of assets you otherwise might not have access to. 

Teach Others or Work Online

If you’re comfortable with areas such as the blockchain and the metaverse, this is a huge benefit in the current jobs market. You could apply your knowledge to teach others, as there are plenty of people who would love to understand current tech better but don’t have the time to find out everything for themselves. A recent UKG study suggests that 70% of employees will soon be using AI but that 54% of workers don’t understand how their company are using this technology. Running an online course or giving one-to-one advice in any of the areas can be a great way to share your knowledge and make money at the same time.

Another option involves looking online for jobs that might be a good match for your skills. For instance, if you enjoy using virtual reality then you could look at the many ways that companies are using this technology. Or you could use your knowledge of the blockchain to write blog articles for a cryptocurrency news site or create videos on the metaverse, for example. There’s a huge level of demand for people with the right skills in all of these emerging areas.

By considering your current knowledge of technology and what you’re most interested in, you can work out which ways to apply it suit you best.