CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEXT-GEN CAREER EXPLORATION WORKBOOK
There are some students who have a clear-cut vision of the path they would take, but the number of such students is minimal as, most children graduating from schools are not aware of the choices available to them, and what confuses them even more is whether their choices will fetch them the returns and lifestyle they are expecting or not. While it may be puzzling, it’s the most important decision of your life? Because what you decide, based on your inclinations, sets the trajectory of your future. However, before you make that choice it’s imperative to ascertain what will be in demand in the coming years for your choices to give you a good return on your investment. Selecting a career and attaining an education on your field of choice has to be a carefully thought-out plan, with sufficient knowledge of what you are getting into and why.
Before I get into the list of careers that you can opt for, I’d like to suggest that brilliant opportunities lie in areas that have a good mix of employment opportunity, salary and at core should be solving people’s problems. It has been observed that most students study for jobs that are in demand at present. Ironically, given the pace of development, by the time you complete your graduation, there is a volcanic shift in demand and the job that seemed so lucrative in your 1st year may be outdated by the end of your graduation. Thus, instead of studying what’s in demand right now, try and select a career that has future potential.
To make your decision process easier, let me share a list of jobs/professions the demand for which is likely to skyrocket in the next two decades.
Data Scientist/Data Analyst – Since we have all moved to online platforms, digital information about people is going to be the key source of predicting human behavior. It has been estimated that roughly about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data will be produced per day, to keep track of this vast amount of digital information, Data Analyst and Scientists would be needed to make sense of people’s preferences. These people would use a blend of tools, algorithms, machine learning principles to uncover hidden patterns and present complex data in a clear manner for companies to make informed decisions.
Financial Planners – Getting on top of the game of financial planning is every layman’s dream, but not all are capable of investing wisely and that’s where the role of financial planners and advisors comes into play. People are constantly seeking reliable planners who could help them multiply money or invest safely. A financial planner’s prime aim is to create a program to meet long-term financial goals of a company or an individual irrespective of how the economy is doing. A great planner is one who can fetch highest returns when the economy is doing well, and invest funds safely when the economy is not doing so well.
Entrepreneurship – The role of entrepreneurs is best suited for people who are not content at sitting in a cubicle and want to chart their own destiny. This involves risk- taking and being prepared for uncertainties of business. Designing a business idea, launching and running it requires exceptional strategic skills though you may not necessarily need education for it, yet a strong educational background along with experience in college can help forge relationships and build a wide network. Moreover, during your college years, you must gain market knowledge through internships; this increases your probability of success. And if you have some product/service/process to offer, taking a plunge in this direction would be the right decision for you. Though, the life of an entrepreneur is not a bed of roses, it’s full of challenges but, if you are persistent, hardworking, creative and good at networking, there is no stopping you from reaching the pinnacle of success.
Healthcare – The opportunities in this industry are likely to grow exponentially and it has been forecasted by numerous agencies that the success of workers linked to this field is inevitable. Now, first we need to discount the myth that healthcare comprises only doctors and nurses—as conventionally thought. The onslaught of technology is one of the key drivers for creating new positions in this rapidly growing field, meaning, the requirement for other skilled people such as Managers, Administrators, Drug Developers, Researchers etc. would be needed to help the industry adapt to the changes to operate better. Moreover, forecasting the needs of the patients is too taxing for healthcare providers thus their reliance on technology and people who handle that technology would grow multifold.
Digital Marketing – As traditional modes of marketing are failing, the scope of digital marketing is fast catching up, and providing powerful techniques of marketing to long established industries and even start-ups. Having said that, small businesses are switching from offline marketing strategies to online platforms to appeal to a larger audience. This form of marketing is not only the quickest form to reach the masses but is also the most cost-effective. The coming decade will demand employees with knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Platforms, Web Analytics, Search Engine Algorithm, etc. in fact, so much so that the demand for digital marketing professionals is expected to touch 2 million this year alone.
Cyber Security and Blockchain – It is undeniably the fastest growing professions across the globe today. Why? Because cyberattacks are becoming more common than ever. Cybersecurity experts share that cyberattack incidents are happening every 11 seconds and due to financial damages amounting to trillions of dollars through cybercrime, more experts are required to tackle the problem. The rapid increase in cyberattacks comes at a hefty cost so, in order to protect computer systems and networks from intrusions, trained individuals who could bolster technological defences are going to be deployed in huge numbers. As for Blockchain, first we need to understand what exactly it is and then, learn why it’ll grab a good chunk of professionals. To put it simply, it is a transaction ledger that maintains identical copies on each computer within a network. This means that parties may be able to view previous entries and log in new entries. The blocks within the content are protected by complex cryptography, which ensures that previous transactions within the network cannot be either forged or destroyed. This way, a blockchain technology allows a digital currency to maintain a trusted transaction network. With the increase in use of digital wallets, online payments and cryptocurrency, programmers who create applications for blockchain would surge over the years. However, interested candidates would have to master programming languages such as C++, Python, Java before touching the intricacies of blockchain.
Robotics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence – According to Gartner Reports and Google’s director of engineering, robots will replace 30% of human employees by 2025, and by 2030, human thinking will become hybrid, which means it’ll be partially biological and partially supported by artificial intelligence. Robots will be deployed for defence, nuclear and space programs and attain a humongous market cap of $46 billion. Engineers and computer scientists along with companies and universities are devising ways to make robots more perceptive, human-like cognitively and dexterous in functionality. Machine Learning is the arm of Artificial Intelligence where experts develop the system of machines that have a capability to learn and grow by itself without further need of human interference. It enables machines to access data on its own and let them learn to perform the tasks. For instance, when we search for some products on Amazon or eBay, similar or related products are flashed on screen while we are surfing the net. Machine learning identifies consumer behavior and tries to market the right products accordingly. Artificial intelligence enables software to perform tasks the way we would consider. It has become all the more popular because it has simplified the problem-solving process for humans.
Banking – The banks of the future will be more flexible and adopt evolving business models to put the needs of the customers at the centre of their strategy, for the success of which, they would embrace emerging technologies like never before. Also, a crucial point to be noted is that banking is the backbone of a nation's economy, and generates a myriad of job opportunities to serve the citizens and their various requirements. Functions such as Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Credit Analyst, Wealth Management, etc., are only going to increase to bolster the economy and its people. Thus, these are some of the professions to look out for, if you are interested in the banking sector.
Content Creation – Due to increased penetration of internet, demand for writers with expertise in different categories is rising and we would all concede that marketing is becoming more education-based, it is not merely selling oriented today, and therefore, more job openings of Copywriters, Technical writers, Business writers, Bloggers, Digital Marketer, SEO or writers for social media, etc. is likely to gain more turf. However, digital marketing is expected to take the maximum share of the pie since it directly impacts the profitability of the organization, so upgrading your skills on SEO, Google Ads, Email marketing content may prove to be the most important learning of your career. In fact, many business houses will need full-time writers for their website, blogs, newsletters, articles, social media posts and issuance of white paper. Any form of content that convinces the audience to purchase an item, avail a service, click on a link, subscribe to a newsletter or leave an impact in the mind of the consumer is going to rule the roost. Hence, if you have a flair for writing, the coming years could be the best ones for you.
Business Analysts – Business analysts often referred to as ‘agents of change,’ who walk the tightrope between IT and businesses to improve productivity and efficiency, by cementing all gaps. These professionals guide businesses in improving products, services, processes or software through data analysis. BAs being equipped with relevant skills analyze data to determine requirements and assess processes before providing data-driven recommendations and reports to senior executives and stakeholders. These analysts work with wide sets of data and engage with business leaders to understand how changes can add value and improve efficiency, at the same time, ensuring recommendations that are functionally reasonable and technologically adaptable. It has also been observed that BAs create new models and are also responsible for budgeting and forecasting, planning and monitoring, pricing and reporting. And if you are good with numbers and are interested in making decisions backed by data, this would be the right field for you.