The year 2021 appears to be a tumultuous year to start and build a career. With the unemployment rate and job uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to dismiss the idea of learning and acquiring new skills.
But as we’ve endured the pandemic for over a year, it’s the best time to launch and advance a career. While you’re stuck at home, you must rethink and reconsider your career plans. Whether unemployed or working remotely, consider learning and acquiring new skills relevant to the current times. Doing so will keep you ahead of the global workforce and give you a competitive advantage.
Here are top skills to learn and acquire in 2021:
1. Digital Marketing
The global pandemic has drastically changed the business landscape. As people stay in the comfort of their homes, they heavily rely on the internet for personal interactions and business transactions. On the other hand, businesses have to count on the web to promote their brands and sell their products or services.
For these reasons, digital marketing has become more important than ever. If you want to get ahead of the competition, consider digital marketing strategies. Learn skills such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), content creation, and social media management.
2. Video and Audio Production
In line with digital marketing, video and audio content resonate well with many individuals. People love to listen to music and watch video clips, whether educational or entertaining. That’s why most companies hire video and audio creators or editors to produce them with content pieces for marketing and promotion.
If you’re looking to find an online job, consider getting into video and audio production. Take online courses or learn the skills via online tutorials using user-friendly applications. As video marketing is expected to grow in the next few years, you can use these skills to make some money.
3. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Extended realities have become all the rage during this pandemic. As people stay at home, they have to rely on virtual reality (VR) or Augmented reality for enhanced experiences closed to the real world. For example, consumers use AR for online shopping while students employ VR for their online education.
Learning and acquiring skills in Extended Reality can take you to places. Several courses and online apps are readily available for learning, all at your disposal. Ultimately, this skill can be a lucrative one that will give you high income and career advancement.
4. Data Analysis
It’s safe to say that we are living in a data-driven world. Whether on a personal or business level, people deal with a massive amount of data and information every day. Hence, data recording, acquisition, and analysis have never been this important.
If you love to obtain facts, crunch numbers, and analyze data, you can become a data analyst for a business. Most companies are looking to fill in this job role for research and marketing purposes. After all, these key data and information are crucial to their business growth and development.
5. App Development
It’s easy to see several apps installed on mobile phones and desktops these days. You see apps used every day to aid an individual’s life, such as fitness tracking app, financial trackers, and social media apps. At work, employees use apps such as Slack for communication, Zoom for video conferencing, and Xerox for accounting.
Apps have become beneficial in our daily lives. People are using and will continue to use these apps. That’s why companies and developers continue developing and designing new apps, making them readily available in the market. Hence, you might want to consider becoming an app developer.
6. IT and Cybersecurity
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cybersecurity has become a growing issue. This is because the majority of businesses today conduct transactions online. Plus, most companies have adopted the remote work policy where employees work from home. Because of these, cybercriminals are looking to disrupt businesses, steal information, and perform fraudulent activities.
If you’re an Information technology (IT) professional, consider advancing your career by learning new IT trends and cybersecurity measures. Consider getting a Network+ practice test and taking IT courses for license and certification. You can add these to your credentials. Most importantly, you will acquire the skills that will propel your IT career forward.
The pandemic doesn’t have to stop you from launching and starting a career. Of course, the initial step to take is to learn and acquire new skills. Consider skills relevant to our society today and in the future, such as those mentioned above. Be sure to choose one based on your educational background and line of interest. Ultimately, learning and acquiring new skills amid the pandemic will take your career up a notch.
