The labor market is a mess right now, and it looks to be that way for some time. While to say that it is not the most hopeful time in history to be trying to make your way in the world would be an understatement. There are career opportunities out there for people who are willing to go where the demand is.
Whether you thinking about upskilling, are just graduating college, leaving the military, or planning a return to the job market after a lengthy hiatus, below are some of the top in-demand jobs of 2021-2022.
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Logistics is a rapidly growing profession that saw development even during the Great Recession. Supply chains around the world are currently in the throes of massive upheaval. And the need for good supply chain and logistics professionals over the next several years will be pronounced.
It is not an exaggeration to say that supply chain and logistics specialists will be responsible for getting the global economy back on track.
Logistics is a great career choice because it allows professionals to obtain high-paying jobs without a graduate degree. Although some professions may require graduate degrees or other forms of advanced training. Most people with a bachelor’s degree can find work in logistics.
While associate’s degrees can lead to a few work opportunities, most prospective logisticians are recommended to undergo four years of post-secondary education.
Loan and Mortgage Specialists
Historically low-interest rates, which are fueling a rise in applications for home purchase and refinance loans, have created a notable demand for loan and mortgage specialists.
This is because, in order to meet that demand, mortgage lenders must grow their mortgage banking, operations, and customer support teams.
Mortgage lenders were having trouble keeping up with the spike in refinancing, and, as a result, many lenders and financial institutions have either made it harder to qualify for a mortgage or have stopped taking applications.
Most employers in this industry are looking for people with a bachelor’s degree, preferably in finance, business, or economics, when hiring for these roles–although there are certifications that can be done outside of formal education. Companies prefer to see at least two years of experience in the field from high school graduates.
Sales Consulting
Sales consultants are great for helping you if your company is just starting out and you need advice on how to get clients. They can help with different aspects of the sales process in order to help you make a sale, including pricing, marketing, and product offerings.
Healthcare Support
Medical assistants and healthcare support workers are those employed in the medical field whose labor assists doctors and administrators in the provision of care.
In addition to the significant increase in demand for medical assistants, the nature of the industry, particularly as tech takes over and changes care, means that roles and responsibilities will constantly be changing, with support exposed to new opportunities to choose roles that involve the jobs they prefer or are better suited to.
Some medical assistants, for example, maybe more involved in clinical care, while others may be more active in the administrative side of their organization.
DEI HR Professionals
Companies are changing in order to promote diversity. The most commonly used strategy for increasing diversity at a company is to recruit using an online platform that can rapidly sort applications at scale.
Removing racial, gender, age and other biases from job descriptions and postings is another strategy.
Other strategies include advertising positions through non-traditional channels, substituting educational requirements with core competencies, and standardizing interview questions. All of this amounts to a need for qualified professionals who are able to implement and carry out said strategies.
What’sWhat’s more, efforts to increase inclusion are becoming more structured. The majority of companies have either already or are in the process of developing a DEI strategy for their company.
Since the cultural upheaval of the summer of 2020, countries around the world have made commitments to reevaluating and redesigning their hiring policies.
Digital Marketers
Digital marketers will continue to be in demand throughout 2021 and beyond as an increasing amount of our commerce takes place online. More importantly, the pandemic has pushed more businesses than ever online.
Lockdowns and social distancing have meant empty brick-and-mortar stores, with the only viable option being online selling. Digital marketing has suddenly become a much more strategic component of virtually every business. Especially those that had not been taking it seriously prior to the pandemic.
There will be a sustained demand for digital marketers moving forward because people need to be able to target and reach customers online. Digital marketing skills include SEO, analytics, PPC, social media, email, and content marketing.
Educators
There will be a demand for educators and related educational professionals throughout 2021 and 2022. Around the world, from New Zealand to the United States, educators are going to be in demand as students come back into classrooms full-time.
Many teachers have quit their jobs during the pandemic due to the stress of COVID-19. This means schools will need to hire in large numbers over the coming years.
For those with the passion and patience to teach, there are opportunities over the next couple of years to enter a profession that, in many countries, has traditionally been hard to break into.
Mental Health Experts
Mental health experts will be in high demand throughout 2021 and 2022 for obvious reasons: people will still be recovery and struggling psychologically from the effects of the pandemic.
The professionals are all unanimously indicating that they have seen dramatic rises in the number of people looking for mental health services.
Telehealth has also expanded the options for mental health care, meaning that mental healthcare professionals have more opportunities than ever to work and provide care remotely. You can study and then work remotely in an industry in need of people.
UX Professionals
User experience is another digital domain with jobs for the taking in 2021 and 2022. UX refers to the way that a user interacts with and experiences a product, particularly a digital product. And with the explosion of B2B and B2C software over the last couple of years, UX is what makes digital products competitive.
UX is also one of those things that you can self-educate yourself on to a substantial degree. There are plenty of online resources that offer cutting-edge insight into UX best practices, as well as a host of certificate courses on places like Coursera and Udemy to help you add valuable UX skills and accreditations to your resume.
Conclusion
The job market seems to have reached an inflection point right now. Millions of people are refusing to return to the labor force, for a variety of reasons, and companies across industries are bemoaning the lack of workers.
For those who are willing to go to the industries and geographical locations where the money is, there are plenty of opportunities ou there.
Keep the above occupations and specializations in mind as you plan your entry into or return to the job market over the next year and land somewhere stable, where demand is high and where you stand the best chance of establishing yourself.
