The generation which entered the job market at the turn of the century would not have come across the jobs of social media manager, mobile phone applications developer, carbon emissions trader, or sustainability manager. That just shows how the landscape of work is changing and it continues to do so. Jobs which don’t yet exist may be growth areas in the future.
Those entering the job market today or in the near future are invariably curious about exploring newer opportunities which can provide them an edge if they are the first ones to move in. Here is an overview of some of the newer areas where professionals from different disciplines expect to find interesting opportunities to explore:
With the proliferation of mobile phones and apps, it’s clear that apps are taking over the way that people access information, consume content and buy products and services. Anyone with a computer science and engineering or related background could work in mobile app development or mobile user interface designing. Computer programmers may move into this field.
IT security is a huge concern, so cyber security jobs are proliferating across all industries, and information security certifications and specialisations are the need of the hour. Increasing incidences of cybercrimes and hacking has created an urgent need for cyber forensic analysts/ specialists. Cloud computing is a new direction for IT professionals. Software applications developers, systems software developers and database administrator jobs will continue to flourish.
The increasingly ‘mobile’ and busy lives of professionals has given rise to the need for leisure consultants and managers who can help busy professionals and entrepreneurs maximise the fun, entertainment and relaxation in their limited vacation time.
Education, teaching and training continue to be vibrant opportunities. Increasing online learning and training has given rise to the need for more virtual teachers, online tutors/ trainers, online educational materials developers, instructional designers, and educational technologists.
India has become one of the most favoured destinations for companies wanting to outsource legal work. The legal process outsourcing (LPO) sector offers the opportunity of working with leading global clientele and learning internationally accepted best practices. The legal profession has warmed up to the use of technology-assisted document review platforms like predictive coding. LPO providers are at the forefront of employing such technologies, offering evolving learning opportunities for newer recruits. Newer fields of work include IPR, cyber law, immigration law, taxation law, securities law, sports and entertainment law. Social media lawyers will be handling online legal disputes, particularly in social media and e-publishing.
Organisations are constantly being bombarded with new regulations and the need for operational transparency is leading to increasing demand for compliance professionals who may be company secretaries or experts in the relevant field like securities markets, accounting, etc.
Electronic commerce has taken over our mind space so much so that the line between e-commerce and traditional commerce is becoming more blurred as more businesses start and continue to integrate the Internet and e-commerce technologies into their business processes. Today, more websites focus on direct marketing, selling, and services than on any other type of electronic commerce. Online banking, billing and securing information distribution are other facets. The range of jobs in e-commerce covers digital marketing, marketing and business development, web app development, content writing, graphic designing and retail marketing. Professionals with work experience and expertise in related areas like fashion, publishing, technology, electronics, business management, etc. can easily explore these opportunities. SEO — search engine optimisation — the technique of getting websites to appear high in search engines when users enter relevant phrases, is seen as an important skill for online marketers.
Financial technologists are trained to analyse financial trading that can help investors reduce risks and costs. They are in demand as people want to reduce risks on their investments. A technical analyst is a securities researcher who analyses investments based on past market prices and technical indicators. The securities and financial markets are offering newer opportunities for financial advising, wealth management, financial engineering and risk management.
Accounting, financial management professionals, statistics and mathematics graduates/ postgraduates as also technical professionals are generally more competent in financial engineering and technology certifications and jobs.
The focus of publishing is moving towards online publishing and e-books are proliferating. Journalism is moving increasingly online too, so multi-format journalists who can work in print, radio and TV and also on the Web are necessary.
Games and films need 3D designers and special effects designers, and architectural visualisers help build virtual buildings. Demand for digital imaging specialists is also increasing.
Healthcare, gaming, automobile, manufacturing, aviation, transportation and many more engineering firms are employing simulation technology. Simulation technology involves creating virtual models of engineering projects using computer systems for analysing the feasibility of the project, and is an emerging opportunity for engineering professionals.
More robots will be needed for industrial, military, medical and other purposes as they are highly efficient. As this trend continues, there will be demand for robotic maintenance. The demand for drone controllers will spread over from military to civilian use.
Online marketing is going to be all about ‘personalisation’ and Big Data will be at the crux of this phenomenon. Companies across sectors — IT, retail, FMCG and consulting — are looking at Big Data to gain competitive advantage. Thus, trained analytics professionals are witnessing massive growth in recent years, attracting graduates in engineering, finance, mathematics and statistics. Visualisation specialists who typically work as graphic designers now extend their reach to analytics and research as they look to improve the way data is represented.
This is but a glimpse into the newer opportunities for practicing professionals and fresh graduates and postgraduates from a wide variety of fields. Throughout history, some jobs have disappeared and new jobs have taken their place. Careers will continue to diversify, newer work opportunities will arise, and to keep pace with the ongoing challenges of emerging job markets, innovative programmes and courses will be introduced by the universities and institutions that wish to remain contemporary.
The future is highly uncertain, constantly changing and ultimately unknowable. Personal agility and resilience is vital, especially for young people. Collaboration and love of learning will be the key skills in the changing world of work. Employees will require the competencies to work across different disciplines, collaborate virtually, and demonstrate cross cultural sensitivity to navigate the career paths of the future.
Guest Author
The author is a career and education consultant
