Top Emerging Jobs

Just over ten years ago, being a social media manager was a cool and fresh job on the scene. The fact that you could get paid to browse through Facebook and Instagram and interact with the world was exciting. Although it took some time to make those jobs commonplace in the economy, time proved persistent in making us accept the new reality of our lives.

How we order our dinner or hail a taxi is far different from how our parents used to eat and move around town. And because of those dynamics, there becomes a need to fill the jobs that get created as our lives continue to change.

The common thread to the change happening around us is that most of the newly minted professions can be done remotely. And remote work has taken a rather serous turn in showing us its true value, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. How we exchange value with other people will always determine how we spend our time and make a living.

The LinkedIn 2020 Emerging Jobs Report, is a good guideline when considering emerging careers.  Check out below some of the professions that, 10 years ago, weren’t as important and in demand as they are today:

Site Reliability Engineer

Often, we use tech platforms without much thought about the people chipping away behind the scenes to make sure that development and processes run efficiently. The demand for this gig will probably go higher as we continue to rely heavily on technology to live, study and work. The industries snapping up these skills: Internet, computer software, information technology & services and financial services.

Customer Success Specialist

Good business is done through lasting relationships. Customer success jobs exist to make those relationships happen. This role is part of the customer service team but can easily branch off to work with different departments within an organization, such as sales, product, technology and marketing.

According to the LinkedIn 2020 Emerging Jobs Report, customer specialists ‘typically have a hybrid of soft and hard skills, as they’re responsible for both understanding the technology and managing the customer relationship’.

Behavioural Health Technician

A behavioural health technician helps with the treatment of patients who have different behavioural challenges. These include substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental instability and physical and emotional abuse. Similar to other emerging professions, the path to working as a Behavioural Health Technician is diverse. And because the training for this role doesn’t demand a specific degree, it provides a chance for people from all backgrounds to jump into this field.

Cloud Engineer

An IT professional responsible for technological duties related to cloud computing. This includes design, planning, management, maintenance and support. And since cloud computing has shook things up for companies that want to build products without the need for their own servers, it looks like the demand for cloud engineers will likely grow. Another advantage is that the skills allow for working in different industries: IT services, computer software, financial services, telecoms, etc.

Cyber Security Specialist

Cybersecurity has gone from a topic exclusively debated by tech guys, to being an important conversation to have for every person with an account online. The LinkedIn 2020 Emerging Jobs Report mentions that the growth and importance of this role are likely to continue as reports show data breaches have increased more than 50% in 2019.

User Experience Designer

UX designers test and improve web-based applications to improve user experiences. Of course, video game designers have been working for a while, but as the interactive media industry grows, new jobs are emerging. A college degree is not compulsory in many companies. Nonetheless, strong skills in computer programming, computer engineering, software development, computer animation, and graphic design and computer graphics come in handy.

As we prepare ourselves for an evolving world, it’s good to remember that the change we’re experiencing is only just the beginning. When we keep an open mind, transitional periods can provide an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and learn new skills.