2020 Top Jobs and 2021 Forecast

As we approach the end of the year that will live in infamy, it’s important to reflect on trends to help prepare us for what 2021 will bring. Though 2020 has felt like a job market roller coaster, some jobs have skyrocketed in popularity, bringing new skills and needs to creative departments. Creatives On Call has seen several new job titles hit our Top Ten list and we are excited to share our findings with you to help all of us prepare for the 2021 job market. Let’s dive in!  

First, take a look at the Top Ten jobs of 2019 versus 2020: 

2019 Top Jobs: 

1. Graphic Design                 
2. Copywriter                         
3. Copy Editor                       
4. Project Manager                                      
5. Production Designer                     
6. UX/UI Designer                  
7. Photographer               
8. Web Designer               
9. Back-end Developer                    
10. Account Manager              
    

2020 Top Jobs: 

1. Graphic Design                 
2. Copywriter                         
3. Copy Editor                       
4. Project Manager                                      
5. Web Designer                     
6. Video Editor                       
7. Back-end Developer                
8. Front-end Developer                
9. 2D Animator                        
10. Web Content Writer        

As you can see, there are a few job titles on the 2020 list that did not appear in 2019. Why were these (Web Designer, Video Editor, Front-end Developer, 2D Animator & Web Content Writer) hot in 2020 but not in 2019? We have a few hypotheses: 

• COVID-19 impacted the popularity of these jobs tremendously. Our clients suddenly needed much more DIGITAL based content to easily share with employees and consumers. 
• These roles can also be easily completed REMOTE. 

According to Forbes, 61% of marketers have reallocated resources to build better digital interfaces (so our first hypothesis is correct!) and 56% are transforming their go-to-market business models. COVID-19 has completely changed the way creative departments are thinking and strategizing. In addition, certain jobs are more in demand due to their ability to be done remotely and employer’s comfort levels with remote work (Marketing Dive). Because of the increase in digital content consumption, these roles have become more integral to a company’s creative success. 

So how does this set us up for 2021? In a matter of days we will begin a new year. A fresh start. A year of hope after one of struggle. With this data, we can assume that these needs will continue to rise and be requested by clients, as well as NEW jobs that we haven’t seen before. 

Jobs On The Rise: 

• HR Marketing Specialist
• Multimedia Designer/ Animator
• Augmented Reality Designer 
• Medical 3D Modeler
• Progressive Web Designers
• Ecommerce Specialist
• Product Manager
• Video Game Designer & Developer
• Industrial Designer 
• Chief Experience Officer 

Majority of these titles are on trend with what we saw this year—moving more digitally in creative efforts to reach consumers. Creatives in the arts and design space will be needed to meet this demand for animation, visual effects and layouts in learning modules, movies, games, websites, etc. (US Bureau of Labor and  Statistics).  

We encourage you to use this data to help you prepare for the coming year and maybe even pick up a new skill on the side! 2021 is sure to bring exciting new opportunities for creatives across the globe. 

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This is a time for marketers to step up to the challenge and get creative in meeting current demands and behavior changes. Creatives On Call supports your business through this. Contact us here.  We have Marketing professionals ready to start in areas including:

• Strategy & Advisory

• Design and Production

• Content Creation & Management

• Customer Engagement & Experience

• Learning & Knowledge Management

• Digital Technology & Transformation

Learn more here.