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Introducing 2021’s Jobs on the Rise: Where the Opportunity Is Now

2020 has ended, but  the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet behind us. The economic fallout has left millions without a job: the International Labour Organization forecasted 245 million jobs were lost in the last three months of 2020 alone

To support those millions of job seekers, we’re changing LinkedIn’s Emerging Jobs Report - our annual report identifying trends over a period of five years - to focus on where the opportunity is right now. The new Jobs on the Rise list features the 15 fastest-growing job trends from 2020 and the skills you need to land those jobs.

The world of work has changed as a result of this pandemic. Here are the key trends our global reports uncovered:

  • There is a job for everyone, no matter your background. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our global economy and will permanently change the jobs landscape. Emerging job trends span healthcare, technology, marketing, frontline and sales roles - many of which don’t  require direct experience or a four-year degree.

  • Skills have become more important than ever to landing a new opportunity. These job trends underscore that demand for basic digital skills, like understanding how to use a smartphone, communicate digitally and operate basic digital tools like Excel and social media. Based on the millions of professionals who got hired last year, today we identified the top five hard and soft skill courses they watched before landing their new role, and made them all free.

  • Opportunity is more accessible than ever before due to remote work. Many of these jobs on the rise can be done remotely: over the past year some of the most in-demand remote jobs have been in the tech and sales fields, which creates more opportunities outside of major metros areas.

So, opportunity is there; to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward, take advantage of these tools available on LinkedIn.

  • Send the right signals to recruiters. Using LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature on your profile, you can share that you’re open to new opportunities -- either privately to recruiters or to the broader LinkedIn community. LinkedIn data shows that turning on Open to Work on your LinkedIn profile increases your likelihood of getting a recruiter message by 2X. Don’t forget to set up Job Alerts so you see new job postings that match your preferences immediately, because applying within the first 10 minutes of notification increases your chances of hearing back by up to 4X. 

  • Get ready for your (virtual) closeup. More than half of people say they lack confidence when it comes to interviewing. LinkedIn interview preparation tools can help you prepare for common questions asked in the screening process, with videos and tips by experts and hiring managers and immediate AI-powered feedback. You even find specific interview tracks for in-demand roles like sales, engineering, and marketing.

  • Explore your career path. LinkedIn’s Career Explorer can help you find opportunities that match the skills and experience you already have. We’ll show you roles people like you have transitioned into and the skills you may need, with LinkedIn Learning courses to build them. We’ll also connect you with open jobs on LinkedIn and find members who have those jobs and can help support you.

Read about this year’s Jobs on the Rise here and from LinkedIn Editors.