The way we work has changed drastically.
We live in an exciting time – able to do a lot more with a lot less – as advancements in technology improve how we do business.
And as the way we work changes, so too does the skill set required to do our job. This has led to the emergence of entirely new occupations – never before seen, heard or even imagined.
Recently, the Australian National Skills Commission identified 25 of these weird and wonderful roles. We picked the standouts…
It’s all about data.
Every day, internet users create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data, generating around 1.7 megabytes of data per second. According to economists, this makes data the world’s most valuable resource (trumping oil).
No surprise then that architects, engineers, scientists and analysts have appeared on the scene – solely dedicated to data.
Collectively, they construct and monitor large databases, develop algorithms to make sense of raw data and develop machine learning models to help organisations better understand the information.
Useful? Extremely. This ain’t a one-day-course kind of profession.
The future is renewable energy.
An estimated 90% of new electricity generation in 2020 was renewable, which explains why we’re seeing the emergence of energy auditors, solar installers, energy efficiency engineers and our favourite – wind turbine technicians.
Together, these individuals put energy-efficient systems and targets in place, ensuring that they remain compliant with government-run energy schemes while being as cost-efficient as possible.
The buzzword is IT.
According to a LinkedIn report, DevOps engineers are the number one most recruited position on the platform. Why? Because increasingly, organisations face pressure to develop high performing software solutions, and a DevOps engineer’s job is to oversee just that.
Blurring the line between software development, testing and operations, the emerging practice of DevOps ensures that system changes and development happen quickly, and are implemented into a normal production to the highest possible quality.
Healthcare heroes.
Thanks to COVID, the job of respiratory therapists – and exactly what they do – has been thrust into the limelight. As the name suggests, respiratory therapists care for patients with breathing disorders.
COVID has also highlighted the need for nurse liaisons, who are the communication link between patients and their families. They also establish a patients’ eligibility for care, interact with care facility staff and work across all areas of healthcare.
Finally, the need for biostatisticians has emerged during the pandemic – statisticians of public health. Biostatisticians help medical, pharmaceutical, private research and government institutions by carrying out research and analysing biological data.
Reckon this ones for you? Here’s the sweetener: According to Forbes, those considering this career can look forward to an 18% job growth in coming years, and salaries in excess of $100,000 per year.
A life online.
Almost 4 billion people (nearly half the world’s population) use social media, with 50% saying that user-generated content increases their chances of buying a company’s product – making social media a critical marketing tool for business.
A social media specialist is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of a company’s social media channels. They implement social media strategy and campaigns through social copy, replying to customers and keeping abreast of new social media trends.
Often working closely with social media specialists, a digital marketing analyst scrutinises company data and statistics to understand where businesses can improve their online marketing activity.
But when it comes to making an impression online, nothing is more important than user experience (UX), with 88% of customers not returning to a site after a bad experience. On the other hand, a frictionless experience can raise customer conversion to over 400%.
This is why user experience analysts are so critical. They assess client interaction, analysing behaviours, attitudes, and emotions towards a product, system or service.
Rise of regulation.
Professionals in the regulatory space believe that as markets increasingly intertwine with each other, Australia is exposed to an array of macro-and microeconomic trends and an ensuing web of complex regulatory frameworks: trade tensions, deteriorating customer trust in the financial system; increased cyber-risks; climate change, and much more.
Luckily, here to make sense of this, are:
- Risk analysts – identifying and reviewing potential risks to an organisation.
- Regulatory affairs specialists – managing regulatory and legal matters in sectors such as healthcare, energy and banking/finance.
- Compensation and benefits analysts – conducting detailed analyses of job compensation and benefits for employers.
Want to know how emerging occupations are determined?
According to the National Skills Commission (NSC), emerging occupations are defined as ‘new, frequently advertised jobs which are substantially different to occupations already defined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)’.
In compiling the list, the NSC used insights from various data sources to then validate and create profiles for each of the emerging occupations.
Find out more
So – where to now?
With numerous jobs and industries emerging that didn’t exist a few years ago, it’s important that education and training equips our workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill these futuristic jobs.
Take comfort, however, from knowing that these roles don’t exclusively consider those with newly acquired knowledge – they’re also looking for people with existing skills, who are eager for a career adventure.
So go forth and conquer!
