The job landscape is always changing, so are job titles and individual specialisations. That’s why today we have so many more avenues people can pursue – that may not have even been an option 20 years ago. Many companies also have their own job titles and specialised roles in order to accommodate for where they see a need. As an employee you can focus on honing your skills, and building into your strengths. Or have a broader approach to your career journey. With that in mind Shopless has compiled a list of 8 jobs that didn’t exist 20 years ago.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager’s job is to manage all the company’s social media accounts. This could be facebook, twitter, instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, Neighbourly and other social media accounts. The social media manager will not only focus on the marketing side of social media, but be available to respond to queries etc on behalf of the company. They also are expected to use the brand’s voice across the platforms.
Sustainability Manager
“Sustainability managers are in charge of making sure an office or company is doing its very best to protect the environment and engage in sustainable practices.” This could be to encourage companies towards sustainability in the office space. Evaluate production methods of a company. Create rules and boundaries around how the company can improve their sustainability methods, etc. This role has only come up in the last 10 year, but plays an important part in companies who promote themselves as sustainable leaders, or those that need development in that area.
Chief Listening Officer
A chief listening officer might sound like an obscure job title, but this is an up and coming role. Widely adopted internationally, the chief listening officer’s role is to “take data from social media and in-person interactions with customers and consumers and use that data to analyze the company’s communication skills’ efficiency.” This role has only started to emerge in the last 5 years, and only a handful of NZ businesses have incorporated this job into their businesses.
Podcaster or Vlogger
Podcasts and video blogs have become a massive source of media over the past few years. Vloggers often talk about their life or take viewers on a visual experience with them. Using platforms such as youtube and twitch. Podcasters often discuss topics in various niches such as writing, news, marketing, history etc. It is a great way for people to consume media that interests them, and develop communities that follow that particular personality or interest area.
SEO Specialist
A SEO specialist evaluates your company’s websites to ensure it is optimised for search rankings. They constantly evaluate backlinks to the company, anything that might be impeding the company’s rankings. Make sure that all links are appropriate to the company, and highly ranked. And that the website’s coding is optimized for SEO. It is a complex job as most companies are seeking to be the top on a google search. But as the company develops the SEO must remain up to date.
Cross Fit Instructor
Fitness instructors have been around for many years, with different expertise. However some ‘fitness fads’ have only come into play since the early 2000’s. Cross fit is one of these, with a few cross fit instructors around in the early 2000’s. The Cross fit phenomenon has propelled to popularity, and is a great option as a specialised fitness instructor.
Uber/Lyft Driver
There are approximately 5 million Uber or Lyft drivers across the world to date. These companies have transformed the taxi and ride-share industry over the last 12 years. (yes – Uber has been around since 2009 and Lyft since 2012). This form of transportation offers an option for many people to sign up and run a taxi type business in their spare time. And people can use it as a full time income. There has been controversy over the pay that the drivers receive, but it is a job option that has been quickly adopted in the past 10years.
Virtual Assistant
Hiring a virtual assistant has become a standard practice for some businesses. Particularly for businesses needing assistance with administration tasks. Virtual assistants help with anything that a personal assistance might complete. Such as returning emails, making bookings, answering phone calls, social media, account administration and more. A virtual assistant may be able to help with a task from anywhere in the world. And many virtual assistants do additional training in order to become better at more complex tasks that may need to be done.
There is an extensive list of jobs that have been created over the past 20 years. Particularly around the development of social media and many companies focusing on their online presence. Also roles within sustainability, and emerging areas such as crypto and blockchain technology. If you are searching for a job or need to list a job in a new emerging area or a traditional route. Make sure to check out our job listings on Shopless.