The virus is still raging through country after country. There has been repeated lockdown imposed by the authorities, and the end is not yet here. The job market has seen the biggest decline since the last recession of 2008. This was expected as more and more people are confined to their homes while living on the basic requirements. It means that more and more services have become redundant or out of work.
The unemployment rate is projected to rise even more in the coming year. It can hit an all-time high of 2.6 million in 2021. Things are likely to recover by last next year as the production of the vaccine has also been started for the public. This will see an increase in demand for certain services that were not considered as lucrative jobs in the market as they are now. Though things may improve for good, some sectors may take years to recover from the shock that has been delivered by this pandemic.
Here let’s take a look at 10 professions that will become the most sought-after services after the pandemic. This doesn’t mean that there is no chance of recovery in the other sectors; this means that the sectors that will be the first to start functioning at full capacity once the vaccine starts to penetrate the masses.
1. IT and Digital Sector: The green shoots have already become visible in this sector. This has been fueled by the promotion of online classes by schools and universities. The sessions are taking place in the virtual world. This is also true for the business that has opted for virtual meetings and sessions for business planning. This requires huge backroom support. This support is required in the office as well as at servers of the service providers. Many service providers are making it big in the online market, and services like Zoom have become an instant hit. There are other service providers too that are fighting for the space left behind by these services. There is a huge opportunity for young IT students to develop expertise in the area to land them a lucrative job in this booming market.
2. Fitness: People have always been concerned about their fitness in the past. This pandemic has only brought this instinct to the forefront. The fact that the virus is more lethal for people with low immunity and co-morbidity has moved people to follow a much healthier lifestyle. This will only result in more gyms coming up, more dietitians being hired, and more health consultants being required to advise people. Young people who want to build a career in this sector have a huge opportunity in front of them. Some of these jobs will be specialist jobs that require a proper qualification. Other jobs like gym trainer or an entrepreneur in the fitness industry don’t require any such degree. A person with sound financial backing and vision to succeed can easily build a business out of the pandemic.
3. Organic Farming: Many people have turned vegan, and those who were vegan have moved to organic sources for their green diet. This has happened because of the scare that the virus first spread because of food habits that are followed in a particular country. These have made many looks for alternative food that doesn’t involve meat. Also, this has given a boost to organic farming as they are said to be more nutritious and better choices to boost immunity. Young students with a farming background and a mindset of an entrepreneur can build a business out of a small farm. Others can become service providers like developing a chain of organic retail stores. This can become the next big thing as the world is moving towards a more sustainable vegan future.
4. Health Care: This sector is already booming, but the pandemic has kept the good news at bay for the past year. There is an increased requirement for health care workers and doctors around the world. The systems that have been developed over the decades proved to be inadequate in the face of the coronavirus. This has lead many governments to increase focus on medical services at the block level. The big hospitals built over the past failed disastrously in the last few months. The cities which have built local health care services performed the best in the world. This is because a load of patients suddenly increased, and the shortfall in the workers proved fatal for the system. Young students pursuing a career in the sector are already seeing a bright future. Others can also join it after getting some kind of diploma or certificate training to start working as hospital staff.
5. Insurance: This is not a piece of good news to share, but when we are talking about professions, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room. The sector saw a massive rise in claims as the pandemic raged through. This means that after all, this is over, more and more people will look to get insurance in the coming years. This will only result in huge premiums and a bounce-back for the sector. This will require you to get yourself a quick qualification to work in an insurance office and enjoy the benefits of being in this sector with sure prospects of growth.
6. Online Shopping: The one thing that the people are scared of is to go to public places which can get crowded. Supermarkets are one such area where people gather to buy groceries and essentials. With the pandemic, these places have become a clear no-go for many. This has given a boost to the players who have already shifted their operations online. This means that one can buy all that one needs on the online platform that is available round-the-clock. Young students can learn to manage inventory or accounts on the online platform to land themselves a futuristic job. They can also build their own application to facilitate local stores to do business on the platform and start a new Amazon or Alibaba.
7. Delivery Services: One thing that kept the people sane throughout the lockdown is the delivery services. They facilitated the delivery of essential items in the time of the worst need, and when things started to look better, they are delivering things that people are using to entertain themselves. The function of these services can only be understood by the fact that not a single country in the world kept them outside of the essential services when they imposed lockdown. One can open a local delivery business using a hand full of vehicles and expand into other cities as they grow. Many entrepreneurs have built a career out of it. You can, too; you just need to be a little patience as the growth curve is not that steep in this sector.
8. Social Services: The sector that saved the day throughout the world when the pandemic first struck. This sector was quick to respond and, in some cases, even before the elected government. They did not relent under the huge pressure of personal risk and danger of infection. Many countries are out of the scare only because of robust and functional social service sectors. Students of social sciences already have enough qualifications to enter the sector. In some cases, you can join as a volunteer and move up the ladder through hard work and innovation. Also, whoever says there is no money in social services; they are not telling you the truth. If you have the right skills and dedication to work for the people, there are huge chances of growth in the sector along with the perks of being a good human being.
9. Online News: This sector saw a huge boost in the times of pandemic as the most ground reporting was limited to the most skilled journalists. The revenues of the media organizations dropped because of a lack of circulation. This has seen many people move to independent journalism by setting up a YouTube channel as their platform. The numbers have risen so fast in low-income countries that the mainstream media is finding it difficult to cope up with the loss of audience. Also, being a YouTuber, you don’t need a degree in mass communication; you just need an eye for the news that is trending and a style of presentation- that is unique. Many students have started channels that are not just about the news; they stream all kinds of content here and are gaining popularity fast as the content on the Television is drying up.
10. Call Centers: We all know about the IT services that were outsourced to India for decades. This pandemic has shifted that trend. This is because the country is one of the most severely hit of all. They are still going through lockdown in a phased manner. This means that the call centers have been closed for months now. This has resulted in a shift of the services to either the country of origin or countries that are less affected by the pandemic. One of these countries is Australia. There has been an increased demand for young students who can communicate decently, and have sufficient knowledge of computer. One can look for a profession in the sector as the profession is just at grass root level in the country and will present a huge chance of growth in the future. The prospects of India completely free of the Covid-19 are still a year in the future.
We have talked about the sectors that will see growth in the sector after the pandemic has been controlled, and the vaccine is in full distribution mode. These projections were generated from the reports that are being published in the media over the last few months. These can change with time as things can improve for good and one needs to keep an eye open to new opportunities that the market is going to throw up for you.
Let’s also take a look at the sectors that are not likely to recover in the near future, and one must avoid them completely. If one is already pursuing a qualification in these sectors, they must develop additional skills to help them get employed until things turn around.
1. Hospitality: The sector was hit on day one of the pandemics. With a large number of reservations being canceled and foreign flights and visitor movement restricted, the sales plummeted through the sky. The sector is not likely to recover in the near future from this impact. Most of the big players are already making millions in losses, and the smaller ones are on the verge of going bankrupt. This is the most troubled industry one can avoid.
2. Tourism: Stay out of jobs that are based in the tourism sector. Although the flights are getting resumed, nobody is traveling on them for the purpose of leisure. Most of the passengers are stranded people or people going back to join their jobs and studies. The sector is not likely to recover in the near future as there are cases coming every day from places that were unaffected about a month ago.
3. Airlines: This sector has seen a huge lay back and reduction in the passenger load in the past one year. It is the most worst-hit sector of the transport sector. Though flights related to freight are still going, that is not what this industry is all about. This sector saw huge growth in the last decade because the economic conditions of people were improving around the globe. This has been demolished in this one year.
4. Restaurants: People liked to gather around in restaurants and pubs to celebrate and get together. Well, there is little hope left for this in the coming year. Established outlets and joints are already closing down; people are more likely to sit at home and enjoy rather than gathering in a crowded bar to celebrate. It will take some time to recover, and one needs to keep away from entering this sector as an entrepreneur.
These are some of the sectors that will not be of any good news in the near future for young people looking for a job or starting a business.
Those who are motivated enough to start working as soon as possible can choose from the 10 sectors that are mentioned above in this section. The world has been taken on a ride that takes place once in a century, and the lives that we used to live are needed to be changed as a response. Things will improve with time, but time is the keyword. The development of the vaccine is already underway, and the good news is already on the way. We just have to wither this storm out and come out at the other end unharmed.
Writer’s Bio: Lexi Edwards has been working with Assignment Desk for the past one decade. He has been providing essay writing services to students and helping them in their academic writing work. He likes to interact with random people to understand more about human nature.