Technology moves fast, and even the most skilled employees need to play
catch up every once in a while. Silicon Valley continues to dominate the
economy, and workflows in all fields are transforming to take advantage
of the latest innovations. The folks at LinkedIn have crunched the
numbers, and these are the most in-demand skills heading into 2020.
Cloud Computing
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The office server room, with its
constantly whirring fans and 24-hour electricity consumption, will soon
be a thing of the past as businesses move their technology to “the
cloud.” Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are all major players in this field, and companies are looking for employees who know how to navigate cloud services.
Artificial Intelligence
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Though it sounds futuristic, artificial intelligence, or AI, is already
here, populating “chat bots,” driving cars, and making online services
work more smoothly and seamlessly than ever before. Machine learning is
complex, however, and there is a shortage of talent in the field, meaning that employees who understand AI will be in high demand in 2020.
Analytical Reasoning
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Companies aren’t simply looking for people with the ability to think and
solve problems. They want employees who can analyze data, and these workers are in short supply.
As more companies learn about the value of data-driven approaches to
business, technologists who specialize in data analysis and data science
will have a huge advantage in 2020.
People Management
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UX Design
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UX, or “user experience,” design
is an essential element of building applications and websites. Users
need to be able to navigate your website intuitively, which isn’t as
easy as it might sound. Designers with a good eye for how users interact
with web platforms are hard to find, making it one of the most in-demand skills of 2020.
Mobile Application Development
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People are becoming increasingly
dependent on their smartphones, using apps to do their banking, buy
groceries, order Ubers, and so on. Mobile developers are therefore in
high demand, with companies competing to create mobile-first
applications that fit into our everyday lives and the tech world facing a shortage of software developers.
Video Production
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The internet is faster than it’s ever been, and businesses have responded by jumping on the possibilities of video production. Seventy-five percent of online video content was viewed on mobile devices in 2018, meaning that video producers with an eye for what works on mobile devices are set to reap rewards in the future.
Sales Leadership
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Great salespeople are hard to
find, but great sales leaders are even more rare. No matter how many
technological innovations transform the world, companies will always
need a great sales team to truly capitalize on their products. It’s difficult to excel in sales, but if you have a knack for it, the future is yours.
Translation and interpretation
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In the past decade, China has
emerged as an economic powerhouse, while globalization has resulted in
multinational companies that span countries, languages, and cultures.
The need for good translators and interpreters is more important than
ever, and individuals who can work in multiple languages will be very useful as the millennium enters its third decade.
Audio Production
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As digital media expands to
include more video and audio content, audio producers are increasingly
in demand, especially in the field of podcasts, which barely existed a
decade ago. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts
that the field of broadcast and sound engineering will grow by
eight per cent by 2028, which is much faster than the average field of
employment.
Natural Language Processing
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So-called “smart speakers,” notably Amazon Echo and Google Home, are in high demand,
and they know what we sounds like. As we roll into 2020, companies will
be looking to hire engineers and experts who understand how these
seemingly magic toys work.
Scientific Computing
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Scientific computing relates to
the rise of big data. Engineers and data scientists who understand
programming languages like Python and R will find themselves in high demand as more employers use data to drive their decision making.
Game Development
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The entertainment industry is in a
period of transition, as people are giving up old-fashioned habits like
going to movie theatres and watching cable television. The video game industry now brings in more revenue than movies and music combined. People are moving on to more interactive forms of entertainment, which suggests the future is bright for game developers.
Social Media Marketing
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Animation
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People live their lives on the internet these days: it’s full of opportunities for animators to ply their trade.
From advertisements, instructional videos, and video games to copious
online streaming channels for children, animation has never been more
prevalent—nor is it just for kids anymore.
Business Analysis
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As more tech companies disrupt
the economy, more businesses are looking to compete in the modern
economy by making their businesses more efficient and taking advantage
of innovative work processes. It’s up to business analysts to help
companies make these changes, which is why the Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts the field will grow by 14 per cent by 2028.
Journalism
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Journalists themselves have
spilled much ink over the past two decades about the challenges facing
their industry as newspapers have closed and newsrooms have been laid
off. Fortunately, journalists have transferable skills that can be taken out of the industry, as more companies than ever are looking for content creators who can craft compelling stories out of real life.
Digital Marketing
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Digital ads are expected to make up half of all ad spending by 2021,
according to some experts. With digital marketing becoming the norm,
companies are looking for more employees with digital marketing skills
to help them make compelling ad content that can cross platforms and
audiences.
Industrial Design
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Competitive Strategies
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The complex, volatile nature of
the market is the reason businesses need employees and consultants who
can craft strategies for the future. Management consultants already make up a $250 billion industry; employees versed in competitive strategies are positioned to become ever more valuable.
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