Unemployment rates in a number of OECD countries, due to the global pandemic, reached record-breaking levels over the last few months in places that typically enjoy sub-seven percent figures.
While economies throughout the West seem to be showing signs of some recovery, there will continue to be a large number of job seekers looking for work over the coming quarters.
Although the economy may be completely upside down thanks to the COVID-19, there are ones that still seem poised for growth.
If you are wondering which sectors will continue to thrive despite the global economic chaos, below are the top high-demand jobs in 2021:
1. Six Sigma Professions
Six sigma professions can be categorized into “Black Belt” and “Green Belt” professions, and they focus predominantly on process improvement, quality control and leadership skills across many different industries.
They are grouped more broadly under project management roles, and average salaries in the United States for these positions ranges between 80,000 to 100,000 dollars a year.
The reason these jobs will continue to remain in high demand throughout 2021 is due to the essential role they play in increasing operational efficiency and productivity.
Familiarize yourself with the wide array of these in-demand jobs and learn more about what it takes to land interviews and secure employment in these fields.
2. Nursing and Home Health Care
Most advanced countries around the world are characterized, among other things, by their aging populations.
The Baby Boom generation has officially entered old age and, as such, there will be a sustained demand for nursing and home healthcare professionals in 2021 and beyond.
Aging populations place a heavier burden on a society’s healthcare system, and nurses and support staff will always be needed to shoulder it.
New nursing graduates are all but guaranteed work, and graduate to a wide range of job prospects.
The work is certainly not easy, and being a nurse in the time of COVID is not for the faint of heart, but countries throughout the West will continue to demand nurses in 2021.
3. Human Resources Specialists
Human Resources Specialists will be in high demand in 2021 thanks to the sheer amount of chaos that has been injected into the labor market and economy by the global pandemic.
The amount of reskilling, upskilling and role retraining that will be necessary over the next couple of years is going to require a colossal HR undertaking.
Of particular importance will be the reskilling and retraining required to adapt employees to the post-COVID world of work.
Not only that, but because many companies have been forced to reconsider their entire business models, human capital is being redeployed throughout the organization, requiring sound HR practices and competent, trained HR personnel.
4. Data Analysts
In the era of the big data business model, companies are going to continue to try and leverage their data however they can in an attempt to better connect with customers.
Data is the new gold and represents an incredible amount of stored value. But before it can be extracted, it must first be parsed and analyzed.
Artificial intelligence (i.e., sophisticated algorithms) is responsible for a large part of this process, but so too are the human brains and eyes that are still required to make sense of much of this data.
Data and analytics are going to be an important part of doing business for the foreseeable future, and organizations will be dependent on data analysts at nearly every level of operations.
5. Cybersecurity Professionals
The more digital the workplace becomes and the more internet-integrated its processes are, the greater the number of cyber vulnerabilities there are to exploit for would-be hackers and other malicious actors.
For this reason, cybersecurity will continue to be a major preoccupation of businesses over the next decade, with hundreds of billions of dollars spent globally.
Security software and people who are able to help companies hedge against cybercrime-related losses will be non-negotiable expenditures for the private and public sectors, which means a constant demand for trained professionals.
6. Digital Marketers
Digital marketing will continue to account for an increasing percentage of total marketing budgets in 2021, as companies ramp up their SEO and social media efforts.
This will require more copy and content writers, virtual assistants, link-building and outreach specialists and web developers.
Much of this work is already being done remotely and this trend does not look to be changing any time soon, so digital marketing is also a great opportunity for those who will be looking for work-from-home flexibility.
Digital marketing expertise is often available as a specialization in business and marketing programs at postsecondary institutions, or experience can be gained by learning skills through the multitude of online course offerings.
7. Creative Industries
Creative industries are those which are focused on generating and commoditizing knowledge and information.
They include advertising, architecture, design, fashion, publishing, research and development, software, television and video games.
These are the industries of the future and rely on human creativity.
Creative industries will continue to comprise a significant component of economic activity in 2021, and creative skill sets–abstract thinking and reasoning, originality, knowledge of and experience with Adobe Creative Suite programs–will feature high up the list of hiring managers’ requirements.
8. App Developer
App developers (particularly mobile app developers) will also continue to be in high demand during 2021.
Adeptness with multiple programming languages, good problem solving and creative thinking skills, and important soft skills like communication and conflict resolution are what will get your resume to the top of the pile as an app developer.
Mobile accounts for more than half of all internet traffic, and the internet of things (IoT) era, combined with 5G wireless technology, will continue to increase the demand for application development across a broad array of devices and functions.
Applications will proliferate throughout 2021 and beyond, which will create a corresponding need for developers both in house and freelance.
Conclusion
Whether you are a recent or soon-to-be college graduate, someone who has been affected by the COVID-19 recession, or simply someone looking to make a career change, there are options out there–although they may require some upskilling or reskilling.
Keep the above top high-demand jobs of 2021 in mind as 2020 comes to a close and start strategizing your 2021 job search.
