Jobs on the rise in 2021: E-commerce, Healthcare, Digital Marketing, Professional Coaching and Freelancing
In light of the tough jobs market, new data from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, reveals the fastest growing jobs in the UK and where to find them.
E-commerce, Healthcare, Digital Marketing, Professional Coaching and Freelancing are among the jobs that have risen in demand over the past year, according to analysis of LinkedIn’s 29 million members in the UK. As companies continue to adapt to a COVID-19 world, changing consumer behaviour and business needs are creating new job opportunities.
Janine Chamberlin, Senior Director at LinkedIn, said: “While COVID-19 has evidently created job turmoil for many, it has also fuelled a wave of roles that are growing in demand as businesses continue to adapt to the pandemic and new restrictions. We’re continuing to see job growth in E-commerce, Healthcare, Customer Service and Technology roles, but also new growth in digital and creative freelancing and professional coaching as companies require specialists to support their businesses and employees during this challenging time. With a more flexible future inevitable, companies have the opportunity now to tap into new and expanded talent pools, and benefit from greater diversity of people and skills.”
The UK’s top 15 fastest growing job categories:
1. E-commerce personnel – As online shopping accelerated as a result of the pandemic, companies onboarded thousands of E-commerce workers to help get products into the hands of customers quickly. Hiring for E-commerce roles, including Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Supply Chain Assistant, Warehouse Team Lead and Online Specialist, grew by 143% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
- Top skills: Order Fulfillment, Retail, Order Picking, Warehouse Operations, Professional Driving
- Hiring hotspots: Birmingham, Northampton, Manchester, Leicester
2. Healthcare supporting staff -The sudden and sustained need for doctors and nurses created huge demand for people who support healthcare professionals. LinkedIn saw a 104% increase in Healthcare supporting staff roles, such as Home Health Aides who provide care to the elderly, as well as Healthcare Assistant, Health Advisor, Health Coach and Medical Writer.
- Top skills: Home Care, Healthcare, Wellness Coaching, Medical Writing
- Hiring hotspots: Manchester, Oxford
3. Digital content freelancers – With the pandemic creating job uncertainty and unemployment, an increasing number of people turned to freelancing. Digital content freelancers, with job titles including Content Coordinator, YouTuber, Blogger and Podcaster, grew by 118% last year.
- Top skills: Podcasting, YouTube, Blogging, Video Editing
- Hiring hotspots: London, Birmingham, Manchester
4. Construction -While construction on commercial building projects initially came to a halt at the start of the pandemic, the introduction of the tiered system combined with the UK government’s cut in stamp duty gave UK home builders the incentive to push ahead with projects. This resulted in a 132% growth in Construction roles in 2020, including Mason, Site Specialist, Construction Specialist, Construction Worker and Construction Site Manager.
- Top skills: Construction Site Management, Brickwork, Construction
- Hiring hotspots: Manchester, Birmingham, London
5. Creative freelancers – With companies looking to create or enhance their digital presence, many sought the expertise of creative freelancers. Writer, Illustrator, Voice Over Artist, Script Writer and Editor job titles grew by 69% last year.
- Top skills: Editing, Illustration, Screenwriting, Voice Acting, Writing
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Birmingham
6. Finance -Roles including Investment Banking Specialist, Finance Specialist, Treasurer, Equity Trader and Financial Services Professional grew by 82% in 2020. Furthermore, the Finance sector had the most remote job openings out of all 15 job categories.
- Top skills: Economics, Trading, Finance, Financial Services, Investment Banking
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Liverpool
7. Specialised medical professionals – The past year saw a huge strain on NHS staff as they worked to keep up with surging COVID-19 cases. While we clapped for our heroes, such as Intensive Care Nurses (155% growth) and Certified Nursing Assistants (133% growth) working on the frontline, there were also heroes working behind-the-scenes on vaccines, such as Laboratory Scientists (68% growth) and Medical Laboratory Assistants (156% growth). Overall, Specialised medical professional roles grew by 58% in 2020.
- Top skills: Healthcare, Clinical Research, Clinical Pharmacy, Medicine
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow
8. Professional Coaching – After a year of significant job losses across multiple industries, many people transitioned into new careers, such as Professional Coaching, and used their skills to help others. Life Coach, Business Coach, and Leadership Coach job titles rose by 101%. The majority of people moving into Life Coach roles were female (62%), and worked in a self-employed or freelance capacity.
- Top skills: Business Coaching, Executive Coaching, Life Coaching
- Hiring hotspots: Sheffield, Cardiff, Nottingham, Birmingham
9. Social Media and Digital Marketing -Social Media and Digital Marketing roles grew by 52% in 2020. With tightening marketing budgets, there was an increase in demand for roles such as Growth Hacker, Growth Specialist, Marketing Consultant, Social Media Manager and Social Media Coordinator, which focus on innovative alternatives to traditional marketing. This category attracted a younger demographic with an average age of 28, and 68% of total hires were female.
- Top skills: Digital Marketing, Growth Hacking, Growth Strategies, Social Media Marketing
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Belfast
10. Customer Service – Businesses bolstered their efforts to support customers during the pandemic, adapting from in-person customer support to virtual methods. As a result, there was a 54% increase in Customer Service roles over the past year, including Customer Service Consultant, Customer Service Advisor, Customer Support Specialist and Customer Contact Representative.
- Top skills: Time Management, Customer Support, Retail, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Experience
- Hiring hotspots: Manchester, London, Newcastle
11. Education – With schools and universities forced to close at points over the past year, many academic institutions turned to online learning to ensure a continuity in education services. Education roles, including English Tutor, Mathematics Tutor, Academic Tutor, and Instructional Design Specialist grew by 53% in 2020. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of total hires were women.
- Top skills: Tutoring, Teaching, E-Learning, History, Language Teaching
- Top locations hiring: London, Manchester, Birmingham
12. Mental Health professionals -COVID-19 has affected the mental health of many. In 2020, there was a 44% growth in Mental Health professionals, including Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Practitioner, Mental Health Specialist, Occupational Therapist, Psychiatric Nurse, Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
- Top skills: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy, Mental Health Care, Rehabilitation, Nursing
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Birmingham
13. Real Estate – Residential Real Estate roles, including Real Estate Agent, Property Specialist and Real Estate Consultant, grew by 62% last year. Many people working in Sales roles transitioned into Real Estate roles.
- Top skills: Property Management, Real Estate, Investment Properties, Residential Real Estate, Real Estate Development
- Hiring hotspots: London, Oxford, Manchester, Chelmsford
14. Specialised Engineering – Engineering roles have grown in demand in recent years and are proving to be a ‘pandemic-proof’ job category. Specialised Engineering roles, such as Back-End Developer, Game Designer, Game Developer, Reliability Engineer and Software Engineering Specialist grew by 45% last year.
- Top skills: Go (Programming Language), Game Design, Game Development, Reliability Engineering, JavaScript
- Hiring hotspots: London, Manchester, Liverpool
15. Artificial Intelligence – As a job category in constant demand and featuring prominently in last year’s report, it is not surprising to see AI roles feature on the list again as companies accelerate the digital transformation of their businesses. Roles such as Machine Learning Engineer and Machine Learning Researcher grew by 40% last year.
- Top skills: Deep Learning, Machine Learning
- Hiring hotspots: London, Cambridge, Manchester
Helping the UK workforce find jobs
To help people who are looking for new job opportunities, LinkedIn has launched:
- Free LinkedIn Learning courses to help professionals land jobs – The top five LinkedIn Learning courses that helped Brits get hired last year were: Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions, CV Success Master Class, Developing Your Professional Image, Business Analysis Foundations and Success Habits. These courses are available for free until 31st January 2021.
- Free LinkedIn Learning courses to develop in-demand skills – To gain the skills that employers are looking for, people can access nearly 1,000 hours of free learning courses from Microsoft and LinkedIn at opportunity.linkedin.com. These courses are available for free until 31st March 2021.
- Career Explorer – An interactive tool to help people find jobs that match their skills. Using LinkedIn data, job seekers can see how their skills can lead them to new career opportunities, what additional skills they may need, along with LinkedIn Learning courses that can help fill those gaps.
- #OpenToWork – LinkedIn members can use the#OpenToWork profile photo frame to signal to employers that they are looking for new opportunities. More than 2 million people have downloaded it since launch, and those that have receive on average 40% more messages from recruiters, and are 20% more likely to receive messages from the broader LinkedIn community.
- Free interview preparation tools– LinkedIn’s toolscan help people prepare for some of the most common questions that are asked in the screening process, with access to quality videos and tips by experts and hiring managers, immediate AI-powered feedback, and specific interview tracks for in-demand roles.
