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Gaurav Vohra, co-founder and CEO, Jigsaw Academy, explains why candidates with digital skills will continue to dominate hiring in 2021.
For over a decade, Industrial Revolution 4.0 has been transforming the way traditional businesses operate.
Last year, individuals and organisations worldwide faced the blow of double-disruption caused by COVID-19 along with the digital transformation of business facets.
It accelerated the arrival of future work structures by five years.
The World Economic Forum's The Future of Jobs report states that 43% of businesses said they are set to reduce their workforce due to technology integration, while 34% of organisations plan to expand their workforce due to the integration of emerging technologies by 2025.
The only way to sail through this double-disruption is by enhancing our digital skills.
Much like Darwin's theory of 'survival of the fittest,' people with proficient digital and emerging technology skill sets will have the upper hand in the competitive job market.
The key to pushing forward in the future of work is by staying sharp as a tack in emerging technologies.
As per Linkedin's Jobs on the Rise in 2021 report, there are a series of promising opportunities for people with the right experience and digital skills.
Even at the entry-level, professionals who have proficiency in emerging technologies will have an edge over others in these domains.
Let's look at the six digital roles that top the list of jobs on the rise in 2021.
1. Data Scientist
Data Scientists are analytical professionals who use their technological expertise to identify trends and manage data.
They use market knowledge, contextual awareness and scepticism to find solutions for business challenges.
India's rapid technology adoption has provided organisations with enormous data to unlock new solutions and products.
Organisations seek new ways to develop accurate procedures to store and analyse this data in a secure manner, and this is where data scientists play a key role.
A simple Google search will reveal 8.18 million open data scientist jobs in the country.
2. Cyber Security Specialist
In the current economy, being a Cyber Security Specialist is one of the most lucrative professions.
Organisations across various industries, such as IT/ITes, banking and finance, retail and media, are actively hiring cyber security specialists to join their team to ensure the safety of their network and data.
They are responsible for monitoring and fighting threats posed to a company's IT network systems and developing measures for vulnerabilities and possible improvements.
3. Artificial Intelligence Specialists
They are the masterminds behind face and voice recognition systems.
Most AI specialists are employed in the applied fields of AI and aim to develop intelligent computing systems while some work for cognitive stimulation to test theories regarding how the human mind operates on AI computers.
With an average salary of Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 6 lakhs per annum for beginners, it is one of the fastest growing jobs of the decade.
4. Business Analyst
They are responsible for driving insights from enormous data and guide businesses towards success.
During the pandemic, business analysts helped organisations understand consumers' changing mindsets and develop new strategies to overcome the pandemic's effects.
A business analyst with 1 to 4 years of experience earns Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 8 lakhs annually.
5. HR Analyst
A human resource analyst uses various people analytics and advanced digital HR techniques to analyse data.
They offer the organisation data-driven insights and recommendations on good practice for compensation, benefits and performance management.
These experts are responsible for the management and assessment of employee inventories and for the review and retention of employees.
The average salary for an HR analyst in India is Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 6 lakhs per annum.
6. Cloud Architects
Cloud Architects are responsible for monitoring and managing cloud applications' deployment and supporting an organisation's cloud strategy.
In addition to networking, programming and expertise in security, they also have a high-level understanding of multiple operating systems.
Companies are actively hiring professionals with expertise in cloud services such as Amazon Web Services, as well as strong knowledge of IT service management, governance, and vendor management.
There are as many as 4.90 million vacancies for cloud architects in the country.
Digital skills are very valuable in the ever-evolving working landscape. However, it is increasingly difficult to define which digital skills are required in the modern workplace and which are not.
There are no rules set in stone as to which skills you will need to excel in and which you won't.
It is like a language when it comes to digital literacy; the more digital skills you have, the better you can speak it.
