Summary

While it is impossible to cover every career that did not exist ten years ago, this blog is meant as an informative and inspirational look at what careers students can pursue that may not have been on their radar.

Introduction

As the world of work changes, doors open for myriad possibilities for post-secondary planning. Counselors are continuously educating themselves about the latest work trends. Their knowledge is vital in the support of students' planning. As new and exciting careers surface, they can help students explore professions that did not exist when they started their own high school journeys.

Social Media Manager

This is an exciting position for tech-savvy individuals. Teenagers are especially adept at navigating social media, thus a role in this field could be a seamless transition. Students may not be aware that this is even a career path. Professionals in this field create brand awareness and exposure for the company, aiming to generate leads and interest potential customers. This job is found in a wide variety of fields. It's a versatile and exciting position.

Education, tech, finance, and communications organizations are just a few of the industries that benefit from social media managers. As our digital world continues to grow, so does the need for professionals with this expertise.

Workable published a short list of responsibilities for this role:

• Performing research on current benchmark trends and audience preferences.
• Designing and implementing social media strategy to align with business goals.
• Setting specific objectives and reporting on ROI (return on investment).

Social Media Manager falls under the umbrella of marketing and digital marketing. Students interested in this profession should consider marketing and digital marketing, writing, and data analytics programs.

Generalized business programs may also include marketing, communications, and data analytics. Attaining a business degree is a great way to learn markets, understand consumers, and contribute as a social media manager. For many such jobs, expect to do on the job training.

Telemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of healthcare. Health orgnizations improved technology in order to continue effective patient treatment. Doctors offered phone or video appointments as a safe and convenient way to treat patients. Although the pandemic no longer impacts our ability to see doctors, this model of telehealth continues to thrive.

According to an article by Dr. Liji Thomas, MD on News Medical Life Sciences, "telemedicine refers to the provision of remote clinical services, via real-time two-way communication between the patient and healthcare provider, using electronic audio and visual means."

Rather than patients needing to take time off from work for medical appointments, they can now schedule video appointments from the comfort of home. A surprising benefit, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine is that healthcare providers can often better assist patients. He says: "Telemedicine can give some specialty practitioners an advantage because they can see you in your home environment. For example, allergists may be able to identify clues in your surroundings that cause allergies. Neurologists and physical occupational therapists can observe you and assess your ability to navigate and take care of yourself in your home." The article mentions that patients needing mental health assessments and counseling can also benefit from online medical support.

Students interested in medicine have a wide array of options within telemedicine that are no longer limited to hospital or clinic work. But they must first complete the proper education and training within the field of medicine. From there, they should choose a speciality, as this helps in the competitive job market. Technology and communication skills are an advantage here.

UX/UI Designer

The profession of UX or UI designer does not necessarily require a bachelor's or associate degree. While students can explore these pathways, those contemplating paths that prepare them for the workforce faster will find this a great choice. Many professionals in the workforce have learned these valuable skills and changed careers.

Career Foundry defines what UX Design is: "UX (user experience) is the process of designing products and experiences that are efficient, effective, and even delightful for users."

A great UX designer creates experiences where users are not necessarily aware of the work put in behind the scenes. The product, website, service, etc. simply works. An exciting aspect of this career choice is the breadth of skills and scope of possibilities. Depending on the product or service, each job has its own flare; thus, it opens a booming job market for employees. Interested students simply must decide if they want to pursue this career via design courses or academia.

UI (user interface) designers work within websites, apps, or video games, creating the screen designs. What we see as users when we visit websites was likely designed by a UI designer. Brian Station succinctly describes the job responsibilities on the website BrainStation:

"UI design professional are responsible for creating, designing, and organizing interactive elements usually in close collaboration with UX Designers who will have mapped out a vision for the project."

Design elements such as buttons, search fields, and tabs are usually formed by UI designers. Despite what many think, UI professionals don't necessarily need coding skills. Although coding is a great skill to have, in this career it is more important to have an in-depth understanding of how humans interact with computers, along with web design experience and technical skills.

UI designers, like UX designers, do not need a specific bachelor's degree or theory-based post-secondary education. Many of the skills needed can be acquired by signing up for courses.

Podcast Producer

Podcasts cover every subject matter imaginable. They have become a staple in society's quest for entertaining, engaging content. Just as Netflix offers dramas, comedies, and documentaries, so does the exciting world of podcasts.

Podcast writers and visionaries need solid producers for their content to thrive. Audio editing, technical savviness, and creativity are some of the skills a podcast producer needs. This profession is considered a vocation, thus academic training is not necessary. Many podcast producers learn on the job or create their own podcasts before working with clients.

The rise in podcast production ensures job stability for students interested in pursuing this kind of work. According to Podcast Production School, "the producer is aware of the client's vision for the show, and may even play a role in planning the content and the marketing strategies. When an episode is set to publish, the producer coordinates with the marketing team(s) to make sure everything is ready to push out."

Students with an interest in podcasting should acquire the necessary skills in high school. Many schools have audio/visual clubs, technical clubs, and creative arts opportunities. Students pursuing the IB Diploma should consider creating their own podcasts as a CAS project or CAS activity. This is a great way to delve into this profession from a young age. Teachers with skills in tech and production are a fine resource to support students in their exploration of podcasts. If there is a local podcast, students should inquire about summer internships or job shadowing opportunities to gain valuable experience.

Conclusion

The world of work is ever-changing and shifting. Adaptability and flexibility are crucial transferable skills for students to learn now, as our world continues to transform. Transferable skill-building prepares students for the multifaceted future of professional life and for careers that may not exist yet.

Another fun and creative endeavour that encompasses jobs now and in the future is entrepreneurship. This foundation prepares students to start their own projects depending on the job market. MaiaZine has a great issue about entrepreneurship and takes us back in time to Silicon Valley during the tech revolution. Find out what it was like working with Steve Jobs and discover tips shared from CEO's on turning your tech ideas into a business. Read this issue of MaiaZine here.

Artificial Intelligence continues to gain traction as an exciting career path as well. More and more students are choosing this profession, as it is both exciting, challenging and ever-changing. MaiaZine covers this topic extensively, boasting interviews with students studying AI. Check out this exciting issue of MaiaZine here.