• Digital Marketing Specialists: Digital marketing has taken over. Today’s consumers have become extremely dependent on digital platforms for various purposes such as online shopping and telehealth. The field of digital marketing is booming and as the significance of online media grows, so does that of digital marketing. An accomplished digital marketer needs strong analytical thinking, a knack for creativity, and a data-informed decision-making approach. This is important because data now allows us to deploy marketing campaigns that provide Internet users with personalised products, communications, and suggestions. A career in digital marketing means a fast-paced environment where something new is just beyond the horizon. Digital marketers need to stay updated about new tools and changing guidelines governing the various channels; so lifelong learning is certainly a unique part of this field.
• Internet of Things (IoT) Experts: International Data Corporation, a global market intelligence firm known as IDC, predicts that by 2025 there will be 55.7 billion connected devices worldwide, 75 percent of which will be connected to an IoT platform. Such an expansion will require the talent of IoT developers with the relevant set of skills to power these devices with functional software, which means higher demand and more jobs for IoT specialists. IoT is multilingual — it speaks many programming languages and needs experience with a wide variety of frameworks. Being able to operate at only one layer of an IoT architecture (which includes the device layer, the communication layer, the data management layer, the data analytics layer, and the user communication layer) is adequate to begin a successful career in IoT.
• Cybersecurity Specialists: Cybersecurity vacancies are high in number. Cyberattacks are growing by the day, and although we mainly hear about attacks of high-profile entities in the news, no organisation or individual with an online presence is completely protected from such attacks. Moreover, due to the continuously evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, continuous professional development is incredibly important in the field of cybersecurity.
Upskilling and Reskilling
As a society, we need to consider how existing roles will change and how people with at-risk jobs can shift to roles where they work in tandem with technology and go on to add value on top of it. Besides the economic repercussions of the pandemic, the current times have brought us an opportunity to relook at education, training, and skills development.
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Navigating your way through the ever-evolving professional world can feel daunting, especially for those who work in more traditional jobs and sectors. However, the future of work is packed with potential.
The key to success? Securing opportunities to grow and transform your knowledge and skillset. Forward-thinking individuals are rethinking the way they approach their careers and will develop a love for continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling.
By becoming agile and future-proof, such individuals will be better prepared to face the wave of the fourth industrial revolution and will ultimately thrive in the new landscape.
Ammar Kaka is provost and vice principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
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