It is known that the online/digital jobs will be the way forward – knowing what comes next can be a crucial determinant for success.

The job market has never been consistent. A century ago, half of the world was working in the weapons and defence industry as nations went through two major wars.

A century before that, the industrial model was just beginning to emerge. And just a year ago, the Covid-19 pandemic radically changed our view of what it meant to ‘go to work’, pushing companies and workers to the digital realm.

However, it is the online job profiles that are expected to undergo the most radical change in the upcoming years. And that makes sense. While the initial changes in the economy took well over one hundred years, the internet went from basically non-existent in the 1970s to encompass 59% of the world by the 2010s.

If one wants to hop on to the most creative, decisive and lucrative job profiles of the coming years, one has to be ready for it, right now.

What Do Online Jobs Mean?

Simply speaking, online jobs are all those jobs that happen over the internet, using a computer or even using a mobile today. This can range from blogging and teaching to website & app development and management, and to just about anything.

Most prefer to do their online jobs from home. Indeed, the greatest advantage of online/digital jobs is that they can be done remotely. There is thus flexible deadlines, no commute requirement, and the opportunity to take work in small projects with scope for gaps in between. As many companies and industries take hits from hostile situations, online jobs that can be done from home seem to be the ideal option for many.

What The Future Holds?

‘Traditional’ jobs in the digital realm have included content production, marketing,  teaching, and web designing, development and their management amongst others. In the near future too, these are the jobs that are likely to be the most in-demand. These online jobs, with their work from home feature and their well-paying nature, are the jobs that the future workers should be preparing for –

Internet of Things Expert

IoT, or the Internet of Things, is widely considered to be the next big step in the digital revolution. IoT refers to a web of physical objects, such as doors, smartwatches, vehicles, etc. IoT has a great potential for the elderly and those with disabilities and can be the way forward for sustainability and energy conservation.

The best part about IoT as an emerging technology is that it is a niche field in almost every industry. Healthcare, transport, manufacturing, and housing are all looking forward to the adoption of IoT applications. This means that people from diverse educational backgrounds can train in, and can be productively employed in, IoT applications.

Information Security Expert

A number of daunting hacks and cyber-crimes across the world have opened the eyes of the state and the private agencies alike. Cybercriminals are no longer getting away with just the credit card information. They are now systematically crippling corporations and industries, and in some cases even compromising physical architecture such as power lines.

The world is operated through computers and the internet, and thus, there is a greater need than ever before for the protectors of the digital realm. Online jobs in information security are expected to increase by a staggering 100,000 in the next five years. Those who have a background in tech would thus do well by also adding information security to their repertoire.

Cyber Forensic Expert 

While information security focuses on protection and prevention, cyber forensics is about catching those who get away with online crimes and bringing them to justice. Cybercrime presents complex challenges. There is the geographical distance, lack of legislation, and ease of anonymity, to name a few.

Cybercrime is expected to cost almost 10 trillion to the world by 2025. Those who are skilled in understanding cybercrime and tracking criminals are thus likely to be the coveted assets by private and public enterprises alike.

Content Creation 

One of the most popular online jobs, with the convenience of work from home will continue to be content creation. In the past few years, content makers in various fields, including writing, video making, and graphic designing, have been able to transition from their traditional jobs to working online jobs full time. As advertisers continue to pour money into the online modes, this growth is expected to continue.

There are two streams of creators today – those who directly engage with an audience through online platforms, and those who work for companies. While the latter will have the option to be flexible with what work they do and how much of the work they do, the former will have to ensure consistent output or risk losing their audience.

Software and Application Developer

When the entire world wants to go online, somebody has to develop the virtual infrastructure to make it happen. Online jobs for applications, web and software development are expected to increase by a whopping 250,000 in the next ten years.

Contrary to what many believe, digital development is more than just coding. It includes data analysts who crunch the numbers to get the best scientific results, compliance managers who make sure that the products adhere to the moral and the legal guidelines, UX designers, who deal with the interface and user experience, and many others. In such jobs, creativity, innovation, and marketing skills are always welcome.

Teaching 

It is quite natural that when in certain industries, the demand for specific jobs increase, so is the demand for their relevant academic certifications and qualifications. Innovators and pioneers in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, IoT, content creation, and marketing, etc. can look forward to lucrative and socially beneficial careers in education and teaching a few years down the line.

As teaching continues to become more flexible and decentralized, a tenured professorship is not the only option. Many today have the option to participate in massive online open courses or skill-sharing platforms to directly engage with students and learners outside the traditional schooling structures. Digital teaching is thus a very interesting professional option.

Automation and AI Expert

There have been growing (and somewhat well-founded) concerns about the impact of AI and automation on jobs. While many job profiles are expected to become obsolete in the physical world due to automation, the process provides for some exciting opportunities in the digital sphere.

Many industries, such as healthcare, hospitality, marketing, etc., are experimenting with automation processes that will enable customers to get individualized attention without straining the human resources. These include chatbots, recommendations, and the integration of business processes and decisions.

In Summation

The changing landscape of the digital world means that challenging and exciting opportunities are right on the horizon. These online jobs are open not just to the technical experts, but also to those who can bring in analytics, creativity, and innovation to the table. As the world continues to undergo exponential technological progress, these jobs are certainly the future.

Do you think we missed out on some important job profiles? Which of these jobs sound the most interesting to you? And do these jobs imply that only the educated and the privileged will have well-paying jobs in the future? Let us know your thoughts!