The business world has been profoundly shaken by the Pandemic. While many industries have been badly affected with many jobs lost, a few key sectors offer growth opportunities, such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, edtech etc.
The pandemic has made many employers realize the importance of digital integration and seek professionals with well-defined skillset.
According to Entrepreneur publication, the top 5 skills which will be in high demand in 2021 are the following:
1. IT and cyber security
We can’t emphasize enough the need for IT and technology skills to address new technological challenges for digital integration.
The current cyber security system has to be strengthened as a priority. Throughout 2020, there has been an over 80% surge in identity theft and 60% increase in cases of malware. Hiring cyber security professionals is at the top of the list of over 35% of companies.
Another skill in high demand is cloud computing, AI and blockchain, reality and additional reality, user-experience design and mobile application development.
Even if you are not a tech person, it’s still important to learn the basics as technology is bound to impact all business fields in the future.
- Princeton University is offering several free technical courses, such as The Art of Structural Engineering: Bridges on edX.
2. Video and Audio Production
It seems like everybody is involved in some form of social media videos like Instagram reels, Pinterest story pins, Facebook and TikTok videos.
According to a research, over 50% of consumers want to see more content in video format especially if they are interested in a brand, product, app or tutorials. Hence, video marketing demand is now very high.
Many companies plan to produce video in-house and may hire marketing professionals with video production skills.
Similarly, the demand for audio production skills has also grown due to the popularity of podcasts. It appears that over 35% of people globally have followed a podcast last month, that’s huge!
Stanford University is offering a free course in
- Careers in Media Technology: Explore audio, video and music technology companies for potential career options, including Adobe, Universal Audio and iZotope.
3. Foreign languages and translations
The economy is now global, which has created a need for multilingual employees and in-house translators.
A survey of US employers reveals that 1/3 of the companies have reported that their employees did not meet their foreign language needs. Furthermore, 1/4 admitted that they have missed business opportunities because their employees could not meet the required translation requirements.
In US companies, the demand is highest for skilled workers fluent in Chinese, Spanish and French.
Check out the courses offered by Udemy like this Polyglot Masterclass: Become fluent in any language for free
4. Data and Statistical Analysis
Data is driving business options. For example, Netflix has developed sophisticated data creation based on consumer viewing preferences, and was able to increase its value by $50 billion in 2020.
Data analysis has become a major factor in marketing and advertising. The ability to collect and analyze data is a major asset for your career.
Incorporating Data Analytics in Marketing is a free Coursera course taught by Sung Won Kim at the University of Illinois.
MIT is offering free courses on
- Data Analysis: Statistical Modeling and Computation in Applications: Get started on using statistics and analytics tools to get more from data. This course is part of the MITx MicroMasters program in Statistics and Data Science.
- Entrepreneurship 101: Who is Your Customer?: Discover how entrepreneurship is a learned skill, and how you can start the journey with the right customer target.
- Shaping Work of the Future: Find out how you can develop a career plan that fits today’s changing work environment.
Columbia University is offering Financial Engineering and Risk Management on Coursera, as well as Artificial Intelligence and Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics.
5. Composing creativity
Intelligence is one of the most important skills that a job candidate can demonstrate. This skill is highly regarded by managers when considering a candidate.
You may think of intelligence as a gift, but actually, intelligence could also be a skill to be acquired. How do you increase your intelligence? Intelligence can be reflected in creativity and original thinking. If your hobby is writing, drawing, painting or dancing… get your creative juices flowing, and create, innovate! This allows you to discover new perspectives, a new solution to resolve an old problem and identify new opportunities.
Take online classes and learn a new creative skill like writing, design or even achieve emotional intelligence.
- Harvard is offering a free course on Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking: Improve your writing and public speaking skills
- Stanford University is offering a free course in Designing Your Career: Leverage a design thinking approach and five career-oriented vocational wayfinding concepts to help design your career.
- Yale is offering The Science of Well-Being: This course, designed with mental and emotional wellness in mind, continues to be one of the most popular and relevant free courses available.
How to enroll and what to consider when taking online courses.
To find out more about the free online courses, go to the eDX free online courses site created by Harvard, MIT and other Ivy League Universities.
However, before you enroll, think about how much time you can devote to take the courses, as the classes vary in terms of coursework and certification options.
Think about which career path you would enjoy and could excel at, with the objective to build skills to achieve your goals.
Do you feel like the Top 5 Skills do not appeal to you? There are many other online courses like those offered by Udemy, that can help you nurture and develop your career, expand your knowledge and explore a wide variety of hobbies.
Courses found on Udemy are either free or paid (with affordable prices and huge discounts that go up to 90% off regular prices).
People who have the passion to advance in their careers take these courses as a pathway to improve their job-related skills.
Do you aspire to be a coach and help others? There are many affordable online courses to help you earn while you learn!
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