Career trends that will blow up in 2021

COVID-19 has triggered significant job losses, wage cuts, and possible unemployment in many industries. 2020, to say the least, was a rollercoaster. The market and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could not have been forecasted. Neither could we have anticipated the changes brought in by the pandemic. Numerous companies of sectors like banking, education, and e-commerce switched easily to contactless and virtual methods and continued to trade almost without a delay. However, certain businesses, such as tourism, hospitality, and aviation, were not as lucky.

There are not many good aspects to take out of 2020, but one saving grace is the remarkable success achieved in digitalization. Rapidly maturing software innovations meant that most industries were on a digital journey, and for these emerging solutions, COVID-19 proved to be an unexpected test program. Similarly, the labor market had to become wiser with the elimination of many jobs, and a lot of new positions came to light.

Going the tech way

The importance of major tech companies such as Facebook, Amazon, and Google have plummeted because work from home instructions and travel bans have yet not been revoked entirely. The success of tech-focused businesses encourages companies to invest in fresh faces and development, ensuring that graduates have countless chances.

In the field of technology, prospects are likely to continue growing. The same seems to be applicable for the sector of financial services, e-commerce, and digital consulting. Tech is picking up as a career trend lately.

Startups are the new recruiters

Many students attend B-School to launch their own start-up in a secure place, the reason being that an MBA program provides students and graduates the skills to develop a company from scratch.

In 2020, students and graduates had a lot of spare time (no commute helped!), which meant they could spend a lot more time laying the foundations of their own venture. This pattern of taking risks to pave their own career path is likely to continue with an increase in the number of start-ups flourishing in 2021.

Green trains getting the steam 

Many global challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, and public health challenges such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, require a tremendous amount of public and private funds and investment. In order to achieve climate and development targets, the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) predicts that up to USD 7 trillion will be required per year till 2030.

The number of MBA students and graduates making more ethical, sustainable choices in their practices and their respective careers has grown over the past many years. The 'green' conscious generation wants a good planet for all and technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and robotics are allowing a number of industries to evolve in a sustainable manner.

An exponential rise in the demand for sustainability and green finance expertise is anticipated in the years ahead. It is an evolving cross-disciplinary academic subject. For instance, the transportation sector accounts for 30% of the world's overall greenhouse gas emissions and with the use of renewable energy to fuel vehicles, sustainable development in transportation has emerged as an actual solution. The positions for smart technology we might see in 2021 include:

• Analyst for green data
• Green information technology

Here's a list of some of the best green firms to work for in technology:

• Polysolar
• MacRebur
• Recleim
• HERU
• OLIO
• Sistine Solar
• Chai Energy

Here, we mustn't forget that organizations need to comply with regulatory legislation as the environment starts to go green.

Creating the network

One of the main 'champions' of the pandemic was digital marketing and its subdivisions such as Google Analytics, SEO, Adwords, etc., which means we might see a major shift towards digital marketing. Companies are using applications such as virtual reality to increase consumer digital experience. This is another career trend in 2021 that’s on rising.

Hybrid profiles are here to stay

Where the pandemic forced organizations to relook at the structure of their company, it is anticipated that companies will now be on the lookout for specialists with cross-functional expertise or hybrid profiles. Businesses want to ensure that something different than competition is delivered by them, and that's where fresh blood comes in. Graduates that have a good idea and a basic understanding of the new technologies that can disrupt business will outstand the others. 

Look out for these career trends in 2021 and build yourself up around them. All the best!

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