To contain the virus that causes COVID-19 that claimed thousands of lives, governments have imposed lockdowns, which also meant a disruption in the economy. As a result, businesses closed down and the number of unemployed also increased.
The massive shift in business operations to adapt to the new standard caught companies off-guard. In an article, Olivier Legrand, managing director, LinkedIn APAC and China, said the future economy will rely heavily on digital skills. Organizations across all industries are forced to work remotely to ensure business continuity.
“According to LinkedIn’s platform data, the most in-demand jobs and industries today are tech-enabled, such as software developers, digital marketers, and data analysts,” Legrand said. “We see that in Singapore, some of the top job titles in April and May this year are like head of Finance, Software Engineer, Marketing Manager, all of which require basic digital skills and relevant software know-how.”
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If some companies have not transformed pre-COVID-19, it is also possible that employees are not as digitally savvy as needed these days.
LinkedIn’s data show “that talent with basic digital skills (defined as digital literacy skills to access email and basic applications such as Microsoft Office) has been hit relatively harder than talent with more advanced digital skills (defined as skills required for designing and developing new technologies.”
Skills gap
Recognizing the skills gap this problem would create, Microsoft and LinkedIn provided free learning resources and interview tools to 25 million people a few months ago.
“Through the LinkedIn Economic Graph, we were able to identify roles that continue to be in demand today and are expected to remain relevant in the future,” Legrand said. “These roles have the greatest number of job openings on LinkedIn, have seen steady growth over the past four years, pay a liveable wage, and require skills that can be learned online. ”
Based on the data it gathered, LinkedIn is making these LinkedIn Learning courses available for free.
- Software Developer
- Sales Representative
- Project Manager
- IT Administrator
- Customer Service Specialist
- Digital Marketer
- IT Support/Help Desk
- Graphic Designer
- Financial Analyst
- Data Analyst
To equip professionals with skills that may help them find jobs, the following learning paths:
- Job seeker – Finding a Job During Challenging Economic Times
- Critical soft skills – Master In-Demand Professional Soft Skills
- Digital transformation – Digital Transformation in Practice: Virtual Collaboration Tools
- Allyship & Inclusive Conversations – Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for All
LinkedIn is also offering free tools and resources for job search and placement hoping to connect job seekers with the right opportunity.
#OpenToWork
“Our new #OpenToWork feature makes it easier for job seekers to indicate to their network, and prospective employers, that they are ‘Open to Work’ through a simple profile photo frame,” Legrand said.
The #OpenToWork adds visibility to those who are openly looking for opportunities.
For members who have been wanting to help but don’t know how, LinkedIn also added the #OfferingHelp feature. Anyone who is willing to help in the form of career coaching, referrals, or resume reviews can use the badge so those who needed assistance can easily come to them.
“We are also sharing our data and insights on the rapidly changing labor market with a new interactive tool that policymakers and the public can use to find out which companies are hiring, what jobs are available, and what skills are needed in over 180 countries and regions around the world,” Legrand said.
Job seekers can also use LinkedIn’s free interview preparation tools which include a new practice interview feature that uses Microsoft-AI to provide real-time feedback.
These resources and more are available here.