The new normal is not just bringing in a new way of life but it’s also ushering in several potential long-term changes in the job market. COVID-19 has upturned the job market in ways that we could not have predicted would be this soon.
Changes Brought about by the New Normal
While we all somehow anticipated that there would be an increase in online job activity sometime in the future, we didn’t expect it to come this soon. The pandemic somehow helped speed up the process and we’re now left facing a future where virtual presence matters more than the physical.
Of course, there will still be jobs that will require face-to-face interactions. Dentists, for one, will still be one of those jobs that need in-person meetings as most aspects of oral healthcare need to be done physically. You can set appointments online or buy a high-quality teeth whitening light kit from eCommerce sites, but prophylaxis, root canal, and other dental surgical procedures need to be done in person.
Most blue-collar jobs also need to be done in person. While some areas can be replaced with robots, such as those involved with manufacturing and assembly line, certain professionals like mechanics need to be physically present to do their job.
However, almost everything else can be done online. Since the pandemic started, a lot of companies and corporations have made the transition to the digital world. Most employees have been allowed to do work remotely while those who have been laid off and furloughed utilized the internet to build home-based businesses and sell their wares online or get online jobs that allow them to work safely at home.
7 Top Skills that Will Be in Demand in a Post-Pandemic World
In a post-pandemic world, certain skill sets will prove more valuable than others. Here are a few skills that we believe will be in demand moving forward:
1. Online Publishing and Content Writing
A lot of people scoffed at the idea of writing as a profession but look at how many jobs it has generated today? Not everyone who can read and write makes for good writers. It’s a special skill in itself and is very valuable today for companies who are looking to publish content to expand their reach organically.
2. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is one of the most lucrative industries today, especially when the pandemic broke out and almost everyone has been clamoring for digital exposure. To be a success in this field, you will need to have a pretty good grasp of how search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (SEM) works.
3. Project Management
Since remote work is now the norm, companies are looking for easier ways to manage and ensure employee productivity as people as they employ people from different time zones and different parts of the world. The ability to organize and keep things on schedule and within the company budget is a skill that most companies will gladly pay a handsome amount for.
4. Translation
Now that the world has gotten smaller, thanks to the internet, the demand for translators is on the rise. If you’re bi- or multilingual, you might be able to make pretty good profits by offering your services.
5. Web Design and Development
If you’re creative, have good knowledge about web design, and can encode, then you are an asset to any company that has an online presence. Fluency in web technologies can make one very in demand in a digital market.
6. E-Commerce and Online Sales
As COVID-19 protocols, like physical distancing, continue to be observed everywhere, most establishments have changed the way they operate and have taken their goods and services online. Folks who are knowledgeable and skilled in areas like marketing and sales, inventory management, and different payment platforms are valuable commodities for online shops.
7. Software Programming and Engineering
Even before the pandemic, software programmers and engineers have been making pretty good money for their expertise. In a post-pandemic world, there will be an increase in demand for both professions. So if you’ve always wanted to learn about programming, now would be a good time to educate yourself.
If you want to ensure that you remain valuable as a professional, learn some of the above-mentioned skills and do your best to achieve a certain level of mastery. We’re still uncertain how the future will pan out for all of us but the transition to the digital realm is inevitable. It would do us all some good if we learn to adapt as early as now.
