By Bobby Rae
I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been to a jobs fair. That seemingly endless hall with table after table of companies handing out numerous freebies in the hope you’ll apply for one of their positions. It’s been years since I last attended one and I suspect if I went along today, the jobs on offer will be a little different to what was on the table then.
As technology changes, it’s inevitable that roles will come and go (more so than I think we’d like to admit). However, those that come all have one thing in common. They have developed due to changing technology and an ever growing use of automation.
So, let's look at five jobs we think will exist by 2030.
Chief Automation Officer (CAO)
If you work in tech, you’ll be no stranger to the increasing ability to automate more and more of your everyday tasks. From email to meeting scheduling, manual processes are being increasingly removed from the working day.
As businesses get more technologically advanced, automation is a growing must-have. The productivity and efficiency boost offered by it ensure companies don’t fall behind their competitors.
This is where the CAO steps in. As someone with experience in automation and strategy, they would examine company goals and develop a plan around what processes can be automated. They would also manage automation processes within the company to ensure they worked correctly and were updated as needed.
Dinesh Nirmal, general manager of IBM Automation, said: “This role is critical because over the next decade, growth in the industry will outpace the ability to hire and retain at the pace of growth.”
“So, the role of a chief automation officer would be responsible to deliver digital skills and labor, along with KPIs responsible for savings, through a focus on high-value tasks.”
Gamification Marketing Specialist
Gamification marketing is a new form of digital marketing that is growing fast. A 2019 report estimated the market to be worth around $6.3 billion with projections of it reaching $37 billion by 2027.
The general idea behind gamification is to take design elements from games to attract and retain customers. By using your product they are incentivized with rewards. Anyone who’s used the likes of Duolingo knows what this is.
A gamification marketing specialist is someone who will design and build marketing campaigns that encourage customers to use their product by turning it into a game. A couple of ways they could do this are:
Points: Users earn points by interacting with your product. These points can be redeemed against prizes
Badges: People are rewarded for achieving an in-product goal
Leaderboards: Customers' names and scores are posted on a board to encourage competition
Progress Bars: Customers’ are shown a bar that fills the more they use your product.
Digital Currency Financial Advisors
Ever since Bitcoin came into the market in 2008 the growth of different types of digital currencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has continued to expand. By 2028 it’s expected to be worth $1.9 billion.
Financial advisors are not exactly something new, but with massive growth in people owning some form of cryptocurrency - there is an increasing need for specialists.
A digital currency advisor will offer services not dissimilar to a regular financial advisor. The key difference is their training will specialize in things like Blockchain.
Productivity Officers
These jobs pretty much do what they say on the tin. They work to improve how productive an organization is. That doesn’t mean the person in this role is standing over employees’ desks cracking the proverbial whip. Rather, they ensure processes work the best they can and the right teams are assigned to the right jobs.
As more businesses turn to cloud or web-based systems, tasks are no longer dealt with by one department or team. For instance, nowadays it can easily be the case that onboarding a new client will involve sales, customer success, finance and possibly more. A productivity officer will work to streamline these inter-team processes and ensure they work efficiently.
Since the pandemic a greater number of people than ever before work remotely and that is expected to grow in 2023. Productivity officers can work to ensure teams are motivated - even when spread around the world - and find the best tools to make working from home easier.
Smart Home Designers
The idea of smart homes is one that’s grown exponentially over the past decade. From turning on the coffee machine to closing the curtains, everything can be done remotely via a virtual assistant.
A smart home designer is a bit like an interior decorator for your tech. They will plan and implement a system to automate tasks around your home. This could be something simple, like having the lights turn on and off to your voice, to a fully automated solution that includes lights, sound systems, shades and security.
Some smart home designers might end up working directly with architects and implementing tech early on in the planning stage. Others will work with consumers either after a property is built or when someone is renovating to help introduce their desired automations.
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