“There is a fear of not working and a fear of working. It puts people in very, very difficult situations”.
Paul D’Arcy, CMO of Indeed
It’s a tough time for many professions.
Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs and thousands of others have been furloughed. Just one month ago, 25% of people had already missed, or were expecting to miss, an upcoming payment, and now half of UK households believe they will struggle to make ends meet over the next three months.
Financial pressures are higher than ever. It’s crucial that we come together and offer support and advice to the people around us.
If you’re a business owner looking for expertise, one of the ways we can help is through our brand new Marketplace. The innovative platform puts you in touch with expert digital marketing agencies that are ready to help businesses like yours.
If you’re an employee in search of a job, we’ve put a list together below. In addition, if you’re interested in one of the industries but aren’t yet qualified, we’ve included some of the most useful resources online to help enhance your skills.
UK
In no particular order:
1. SEO/SEM Marketers
Search Engine Journal described SEM (search engine marketing) as “the unsung hero and the secret weapon for today’s growth marketing leaders” in 2018. Imagine what it’s like now with tens and thousands of businesses transitioning online. After all, with 81% of people searching online for a product or service, it can drive much more value than people realise.
The best thing? SEO doesn’t just improve a website. It improves the amount of traffic being driven to that site. It increases click-through rates and boosts conversions. It is a contributor of increased profits – giving you the chance to showcase your skills through data and optimised performance.
Key resources:
- The one-hour guide to SEO
- How to become an SEO expert
- HubSpots introductory training course and certifications
- Free SEO Specialisation enrollment
2. Artificial intelligence scientists/architects
AI isn’t just revolutionising the tech industry. But that’s because it’s already taken over the landscape and streamlined processes far beyond our imagination. For these automations to continue, the number of AI-related jobs has to rise.
On LinkedIn, there are currently 4,000+ results for artificial intelligence jobs in the United Kingdom. In the past 24 hours, 138 have been added. The past month? 2,776. A lot of the roles are much more specialised, i.e. “Quantum Machine Learning Scientist” and “Deep Learning Research Scientist”, providing opportunities to become an expert in a single area of AI.
Key resources:
- The basics of AI and how it can be used
- Artificial intelligence in 9 minutes
- 6 of the best AI courses recommended by Forbes
- Recommended AI courses in a comparison chart
3. Data protection/Cyber security officer
According to the ICO, there were 41,000 complaints to the Information Commissioner’s Office in the first year GDPR was implemented. That’s a huge workload that wouldn’t have been fulfilled without hiring more staff.
Now, as more businesses run online, increased privacy concerns calls for more talent to take on roles such as a Data Protection Officer and Cyber Security Specialist. Data also shows that the number of data breaches increased by over 50% from 2018-2019, which, when paired with the economic impact of Covid-19, explains the number of opportunities in this sector.
Key resources:
- A career guide to becoming a Data Protection Officer
- What working in cyber security is really like, from experts
- Ultimate guide to starting a cyber security career
- The best online cyber security courses 2020
4. IT support professionals
If you thought the figures above were high, there are more than 44,000 IT Support jobs currently being advertised on LinkedIn. 2,135 were added in the past 24 hours, and 11,155 in the past week. Clearly, making sure your business is running efficiently has never been more important.
One of the best things about being a qualified IT Support professional is that you aren’t tied down to one industry. Businesses worldwide require assistance to maintain their computer systems and solve issues before they evolve – increasing the likelihood of a more permanent position during this time.
Key resources:
- IT help desk training and resources
- How to teach yourself basic IT support
- Entry requirements, skills, training, and opportunities
- Free Google IT Support Professional Certificate
5. Business intelligence analysts
There’s always room for someone to manage the data. In fact, this role can be the difference between success and failure for a lot of companies. An advert from HSBC states these roles are “at the centre of how transformation shapes, delivers and embeds change working with the business and our delivery partners”.
Popular brands such as Tesco and Co-op are also seeking a Business Intelligence Analyst. Most of them require a proven track record in similar positions, experience using different servers, and more, but it’s a great role to work your way into if you’re interested in business.
Key resources:
- 5 steps to becoming a Business Analyst
- Business Analyst learnings and advice
- Top Business Analyst courses and tutorials online
- Free Business Analyst training and Ebooks
US
6. Data Scientists
Data scientists ranked #1 on GlassDoor for the best 50 jobs in America in 2019. In the same year, Forbes suggested that the overall demand for data science experts is projected to grow approximately 39% and will reach 2,720,000 jobs. It’s a career worth having a look at.
In general, the role of a Data Scientist often has a wide range of responsibilities, though all of them evaluate data to provide creative insight. If you’re interested in identifying valuable data sources, machine-learning algorithms, and discovering insightful trends and patterns, data science could be perfect for you.
Key resources:
- The best path to becoming a Data Scientist
- What is a Data Scientist and what do they do?
- The best free online data science courses in 2020, by Forbes
- Free data science and data analytics courses
7. Software Developers
Similar to Data Scientists, Software Developer roles can start at entry-level with the opportunity to be promoted to more of a senior role. This makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a new challenge, to progress in your career, and are willing to put in the work.
Data also shows that 44% of developers have no related academic qualifications to being a developer. 41% of people actually have a Bachelor of Science, and 12% a Masters in Computer Science, which suggests you could be considered if you don’t have an ultra specific background.
Key resources:
- How to become a Software Developer without a degree
- Going from a newbie to a Software Developer in 9 months
- The fastest way to become a Software Developer
- Free Software Development courses online
8. DevOps engineers
Before a role titled ‘DevOps’ scares you away, know that the base salary for this role is $99,604 in the United States. In other words, all of the technical work and analysis can be worth it.
GlassDoor is also advertising 27,008 open jobs for a DevOps role, 2,881 which have been added in the past 24 hours and 10,011 in the past week. Common responsibilities are all based online, such as deployment automation, ITSM onboarding, and providing full application development support, which could make it a secure option during the pandemic.
Key resources:
- How to become a DevOps Engineer in 6 months or less
- A cheat sheet to becoming a DevOps Engineer
- 5 ways to make yourself marketable as a DevOps Engineer
- 8 best DevOps training and certifications
9. Solutions architects
In 2018, CNBC described the Solutions Architect as “a role that offers true salary and consistently beats inflation is a rare gem”. There were 62,000 open positions for this job on Glassdoor at the time, compared to a huge 71,157 now. If we dig deeper into the positions, over a quarter of these have been added in the past week, at a sheer 26,689.
However, Solutions Architects do have a vitaljob. Managing complex processes to solve business problems using technology, and defining features, phases, and solution requirements are just some of the common responsibilities.
Key resources:
- The strategic role of a Solutions Architect
- What’s it like to be a Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS)?
- Free Solutions Architect courses and tutorials
- Free AWS certification training
10. UX designer
A lot of the roles mentioned above focus on the ‘behind the scenes’ of a business. But as tens of thousands of businesses look to grow their business online, the role of a UX designer cannot be underestimated. For example, 48% of users see web design as an indication of a businesses credibility.
UX designers are responsible for providing meaningful user experiences through the look and feel of a website. As well as focusing on creating products that are usable, they also concentrate on other aspects of the user experience, such as pleasure, efficiency and fun, making it a pretty exciting and rewarding role.
Key resources:
- A 2020 guide to becoming a UX Designer
- How to become a UX Designer without experience or a Degree
- 1:1 with a Google UX Designer
- Top free UX Design courses and tutorials
Become an expert in your field
There are endless opportunities to kickstart your career during this difficult time. If you don’t have the essential skills or qualifications, click one of our key resources above or do a quick search to find exactly what you’re looking for.
If the problem is that you’re feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, most definitely look back at our key resources. You’ll see that the Software Engineer at Uber, the multinational car company valued at $75.5 billion last year, learned everything he knew in just 9 months – while working full time.
Find the subject you’re most interested in, see what the role requires, and start putting in the work. It’ll all be worth it in the long-run.
