As the World Economic Forum suggests, almost 80% of the most in-demand jobs in 2030 will be new. In other words, most professions of the future do not yet exist. This may be a bit of a stretch, but the transformation of the employment paradigm is in full swing, and digital professions are already the future.
The demand for specialists in the digital domain, as in the human domain, are factors driving the growth of the careers of the future. But what exactly does the term “professions of the future” refer to?
Today’s fastest developing digital professions
The onset of the coronavirus health crisis and the subsequent months of confinement gave an unprecedented boost to the adoption of digital solutions and the development of connectivity for businesses, government agencies and individuals. Since then, the demand for ICT professionals has grown steadily.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), ICT employment has grown by 18% since 2020, and the sector came to lead hiring forecasts for the last months of 2022 with more than 50%. And between mid-2021 and 2022, the demand for ICT talent has grown by more than 7%, according to the TIC Monitor report, conducted by VASS and the Centre for Economic Forecasting, CEPREDE.
The greatest demand for jobs today lies in the new needs that are developing as digital transformation and technological adoption by companies progresses. Positions in data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, web developers, digital marketing, e-commerce and online content creation are also becoming increasingly important. This growing trend in demand for digital professions can help current students to design their educational pathways.
What about tomorrow’s digital professions?
According to digital transformation experts, in the next 5 years, the following careers are expected to emerge and thrive:
- The expert in 3D printing develops designs and prints objects and infographics for different projects. These professionals will be mainly focused on the health sector. Thus, radiologists, technicians, surgeons or assistant clinicians will work with these professionals on a regular basis.
- Data Scientist is another of the digital professions that are gaining momentum thanks to the increasing use of Big Data, as they are capable of interpreting data and transforming it into valuable information. Thanks to the approach they offer, strategies can be established within a company, and in this way, the strategic objectives previously established can be achieved. The study of data needs a skilled figure to interpret patterns and obtain valuable information.
- Cloud consultant is a specialist who efficiently manages all the resources that companies leave in the cloud. Their work also helps to improve the use of other tools such as Big Data or Artificial Intelligence in other departments.
- Blockchain specialist. The increasing use of blockchain technology naturally requires more specialists. They are in charge of establishing and integrating processes to make them work in a more agile way, always according to the needs of each company. This improves decentralised environments by enhancing the security of enterprises.
- Cyberlawyer. The world of law has evolved with the advent of digital transformation. Nowadays, events take place on the internet that affect people and companies, which is why a new discipline has emerged: cyberlaw. Just as in real life there are rules and laws that citizens must comply with, the virtual context is also governed by digital regulations and legislation.
- Virtual Reality Developer. According to Microsoft, in the next 5 years, Virtual Reality, VR, will become a space where millions of people will work, train or enjoy their leisure time. These professionals programme and design immersive experiences and fluid interactions, and their range of action covers various business domains such as simulations, training or commercial interfaces. This requires a solid foundation of mathematical and programming skills.
What will the labour market of the future look like?
While the advent of automation and robotics is expected to eliminate professions that bring little value to companies, it is also opening up new opportunities and creating new digital professions.
According to data provided by Singularity Experts, 75 million jobs are disappearing and another 133 million are being developed through the impact of technology. Among them, professions such as 3D-print home designer, 3D-print chef or technology specialist for environmental management already stand out.
