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COVID-19 has reshaped the hiring arena and the job market. In early 2020, there was an onset of layoffs and downsizing in most sectors. With most companies moving to virtual workspaces, the challenges only stacked up in terms of coordination, network, and security. However, this COVID-led change is not necessarily all bad as it has also opened up opportunities by bringing up new careers.
COVID has given a boost to some industries, creating job opportunities in unseen niches. Here are the most exciting and sought-after jobs in the market today based on LinkedIn and CNBC reports. The opportunities are new, but the entry criteria remain the same – relevant experience, skills, education or certifications, and a learning mindset.
1) Frontline E-Commerce Worker
With everyone staying at home due to COVID, the delivery of goods has exponentially increased. Many enterprises moved to doorstep delivery to make their services accessible to the consumers. These range from essentials to niche services, and from perishable goods to durables. This resulted in substantial job creation. The number of openings for these frontline workers grew by 73% year by year and it continues to do so with more than 400,000 open positions this year.
- Designation: Freight Operator, Package Handler, Supply Chain Executive /Assistant /Associate
- Qualification: Minimum of higher national diploma or higher
- Skills: Leadership, communication, customer-oriented
- Salary: $34,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Low
2) Healthcare Staff
The COVID pandemic resulted in a surge in the sustained demand for healthcare professionals. It had a knock-on effect and created a need for jobs that involved personnel who support health care professionals. These include lab technicians and those who help patients progress through the healthcare process and provide non-technical medical support to doctors. Since COVID-19, staffing needs for these positions have increased by 34%. Such healthcare roles generally carry out administrative work such as organizing stock, inventory management, front desk management, etc.
- Designation: Healthcare Assistant, Dental Assistant, Home Nurse, Pharmacy/Chemist Technician
- Qualification: Minimum of higher national diploma or higher
- Skills: Patient management, patient-data management, Healthcare personal relationship management
- Salary: $38,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Low
3) Project Managers
While several jobs or even teams became redundant after the pandemic set in, many other vacancies were created to help businesses get through the situation. These roles are aimed at extending the global presence of the company and reaching untapped business opportunities and relationships. In broad terms, their job varies concerning the industry. However, they share the responsibility of the Project Life Cycle, which includes planning, procurement, execution, monitoring, and quality control. The acquisition of project managers is expected to grow by 33% in the coming years.
- Designations: Project Manager, Operations Lead, Technical Manager (Project)
- Qualification: Minimum of higher national diploma or higher
- Skills: Planning, Project Feasibility Evaluation, Relationship Building, Budgeting
- Salary: $81,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Medium
4) Web Developers
With a great shift to a complete online platform to manage businesses, especially post COVID, there is a surge in the need for web developers. A web developer manages the end-to-end creation of a web page by performing regular updates, designing and editing content, and conducting timely checks on fixing issues and bugs. It is a fast-growing career opportunity with over 199,000 jobs in the US alone from 2020 to 2021.
- Designation: Web designer, Web programmer, website developer, front-end developer
- Qualification: Minimum of higher national diploma or higher
- Skills: Creative, time management, coding expert,
- Salary: $71,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Very high
5) Education Professionals
With the education industry moving online, COVID has reshaped the structure of academia. Now that more students and professionals depend on online sources for skill development and education, this has put pressure on the education infrastructure to attain more staff to meet the growing needs. With creative software and learning tools available at affordable rates and flexible schedules, skill-building has become much easier. However, with increased student feedback, quality instructors remain in demand, creating a supply-demand mismatch. Hiring for this position grew by 20% since last year.
- Designation: Teaching assistant, educational consultant
- Qualification: Minimum of higher national diploma or higher
- Skills: content delivery, subject expert, teaching, and planning
- Salary: $29,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: high
Opportunities in digital marketing and content creation have also remained strong during this period. With higher attrition and job loss, the demand for Professional and Personal Coaches has also gone up. CNBC’s January 2021 report had the following findings:
6) Digital Content Creators
They can work independently, or for companies. A digital content creator’s responsibilities include producing marketing copies to advertise a company’s products and services. They help companies reach their target audience by delivering appealing information on social media platforms. Content creators who work independently have social media accounts that serve as their digital brand. They help businesses grow through collaboration and product endorsements on their platforms. This job role grew by 49% over the past two years.
- Designation: Youtube contributor, Podcaster, blogger, vlogger, TikToker
- Salary: $55,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: High
7) Professional and Personal Coaches
They help people to enhance their strengths and improve their skills. Job coaches work with people who need guidance for career development or people with disabilities to help them to function in the workplace. They help people discover their strengths and weaknesses, supporting them in their personal and professional journeys. Hiring growth for this profile has gone up by 51% since 2019.
- Designation: Life and job coach, career coordinator, business coach
- Salary: $45,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Medium
8) Digital Marketing Professionals
Digital marketers implement and track digital marketing campaigns across all digital channels. The job demands the demonstration of a strong grasp of current marketing tools and strategies. A digital marketer typically leads the integrated digital marketing campaigns from concept to execution. The hiring for this position increased by 33% since 2019.
- Designation: Growth hacking executive, social media specialist, search engine optimization expert
- Salary range: $55,000 pa on an average
- Remote work availability: Medium
These hiring trends have left a permanent mark on the economic map of the world. The best way to take advantage of the changing job landscape is to prepare yourself by gaining a thorough understanding of your target role and industry needs. If you need any support to reach your professional goals and find your dream job, we will be more than happy to help you.
