Choosing a career is the most important decision in life. It is more about deciding what You will do to make a living for the rest of your life. So you need to find an industry that works for you and work towards getting the skills needed for the job.
Learning about skills that are in demand is essential in deciding what to pursue in college.
The recent dynamic working environment also Demands a proper understanding of skill relevance in modern applications.
Talent and passion are not sufficient enough for a career. You need to learn more skills.
How?
Education.
Getting into college to further your education is the first big step in gaining the skills necessary for a good career. You can do a degree program, short courses, or a diploma. Endeavor to do some research on the college and study at an accredited University.
Do internships in companies that relate to your chosen career path. This will help you get training and first-hand experience. Internships enable you to get the feel of what you will be doing for the rest of your life.
Work with a Mentor.
The easiest way and the most rapid way to succeed in your career is to get a mentor, someone who is a professional in the field of your interest. Having a mentor is motivating, and it gives you an inside perspective on the day-to-day processes of your job.
The rate of unemployment in South Africa is high, and there are no sufficient candidates with qualified skills for available career opportunities.
That said, here is the list of the most in-demand careers in South Africa in the various sectors.
Information And Communication Technology
According to carrier Junction, this is one of the most in-demand jobs in South Africa.
Various fields in the ICT industry include:
Data scientist.
This field of study combines domain expertise, programming skills and knowledge of maths and statistics to extract managerial insights from data.
Robotics and process automation.
This is a more sophisticated form of business process automation that can record tasks performed by an individual on the computer and perform the same task without any human intervention.
Cloud computing is the delivery of different services across the internet like information storage, databases, networking, save us, and software.
Cybersecurity.
It is the practice of protecting systems programs and networks from cyber-attacks.
Other fields in this sector include web design and development experts, ICT directors, and software Developers.
These jobs have been in high demand since the first quarter of 2022.
According to Michael Page (a Specialist recruitment firm), this sector faces the challenge of scarcity in the supply of talent with STEM skills in South Africa.
However, there is now a need to formulate a diverse educational terrain that speaks more to the STEM techniques needed in the 21st century.
Human Resource.
Human resource is a department or person that deals with everything employment-related in the company.
Human resources deal with employment and training new staff, make sure everyone adheres to labor laws, educate employees on Company benefits like pension, sick leave, maternity leaves Etc, they manage payroll, manage staff contracts.
The key jobs in this sector include:
Human resource manager who deals with the most important functions in the human resource department that is hiring and firing employees, improving company and individual laws, recruiting and training new workers.
The Human Resource Consultants provide the company with advice on the current state of the human resource department and give solutions on how to improve and hold on to company labor laws.
Human resource administrator who combines both human resource and other administrative duties. He handles the documentation in the organization as well as assisting in other duties like Employments.
There are a variety of skills needed for this job. Basic hard skills include good communication skills, ability to draw budgets, organization skills, while soft skills include multitasking, decision-making, problem-solving, and other interpersonal skills.
Human resource experts have been in high demand in most Industries lately, probably because of the lack of flexibility.
This scarcity of flexibility illustrated by some organizations has been a barrier for applicants, several of whom end up contemplating other employment options.
Michael Page suggested that organizations should employ individuals that have had experience in numerous positions during their career.
With enough training and experience, you can become successful in this career path.
Finance And Accounting.
This sector deals with recording, measuring, and analyzing financial records for companies.
The top positions in this sector are financial managers, accountants, heads of finance, commercial finance managers.
A few areas of Specialties in accounts used including;
Bookkeeping involves crunching numbers and keeping records of finances in a business. A bookkeeper is practically a junior accountant.
Financial Manager is all about predicting the future of the business and strategizing to help the business grow.
Chartered accountants. This position has numerous jobs to choose from like auditing, forensic accounting, financial accounting, and Taxation.
Managerial accounting is more focused on preparing budgets for the preceding years. While Financial Accounting looks at budgets for the past years.
This sector faces numerous challenges; one of them is the downsizing of particular teams. Most businesses also argued that teams are not skilled enough to survive the changes that came with the coronavirus pandemic.
To tackle this issue, Michael Page suggested that many roles can be integrated into one, to consolidate large teams, depending on the size of the company.
Also Read: How to Register With The Department Of Labour
Engineering And Manufacturing
The market in this sector has become very competitive and individuals with the required skills are scarce.
The positions in demand include;
Project managers who are responsible for planning, leading, and overseeing projects from injection to completion. It is a senior role in an organization and involves interactions with both internal and external stakeholders.
Project managers are also responsible for ensuring that project deadlines are met; they coordinate staff and internal resources, coordinate project reviews and design reports, conduct risk mitigation plans Etc.
Operations managers who are responsible for managing activities in the creation of goods and services.
Other responsibilities include planning, control, design, and strategizing.
Other positions in demand are Maintenance managers and manufacturing managers.
Some positions in this sector require illegal appointments like the G C C mines, GCC factories, and mine managers certificate, which details specific certifications, skills, or qualifications needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the job.
Professionals who pursue these qualifications stand a chance to benefit from open doors opportunities and future promotions, and they can also assist other members within the company through training and monitoring. According to Michael Page, recruiters should invest in these initiatives and offer workers the opportunity to explore these options.
The careers and positions listed above are the most in-demand careers in South Africa.
Trending careers indicate positions that have become more popular in the job market and have experienced a dramatic increase in demand.
When choosing your career, endeavor to consider the list of jobs and skills that are in high demand in South Africa to ensure that your career prospects in the labor market will be increased.
