Job Opportunities, Fast Growing Industries in Southeast Asia: LinkedIn

Careers in healthcare, education and digital services are expected to be among the fastest growing in Southeast Asia this year, according to a new report published Tuesday.

LinkedIn’s inaugural “Jobs on the Rise” report shows an increase in demand for healthcare professionals, educators and creatives in 2021, as the coronavirus changes the face of the region’s employment landscape.

Granted, the study – a special edition of the site’s annual Emerging Jobs report – also notes a continued demand for technical specialists, such as data analysts and engineers. But LinkedIn’s Feon Ang, vice president of talent and learning solutions for Asia-Pacific, said the results indicate a change of direction this year.

“These (trends) have emerged in direct relation to the global pandemic and reflect the current landscape around us,” Ang told CNBC Make It.

For its report, the professional networking site has tracked enrollment growth for more than 15,000 job titles to identify which ones increased the most in 2020 compared to the previous year. These titles were then grouped into 15 major career trends for various markets around the world, including the United States.

In particular, Ang highlighted the rise of medical roles. They include not only the work of frontline medical personnel such as doctors and nurses, but also social workers and mental health professionals.

Elsewhere, the rapid pace of digitization – for example the shift to online retailing due to bottlenecks – has opened up new roles in e-commerce and the supply chain. These trends, in turn, have led companies to implement new digital technologies, leading to an increase in demand for software and cybersecurity specialists.

“These growing jobs demonstrate that there are still various opportunities for job seekers with a range of skills and experience,” Ang said.

She added that they also present opportunities for people changing careers, or for those newly unemployed, to turn to growing industries, for example by learning new skills online. “By adopting a lifelong learning mindset and learning new skills or upgrading their current skills, workers can prepare for these new roles.

Based on LinkedIn’s report, here are the top 15 career categories of 2021, including top positions in demand, top skills required, and major cities hiring for each position.

Main positions: Editor, Copywriter, Podcaster, YouTube Content Creator, Video Editor

Required Skills : Public speaking, proofreading, video editing, Adobe Premier Pro, creative writing

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore

Main positions: Business Operations Analyst, Business Development Analyst, Data Analyst

Required Skills : Data analysis, data visualization, analytical skills, SQL database programming language, needs analysis

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Chachoengsao, Thailand; North Sumatra, Indonesia

Main positions: Web Developer, System Analyst, Mobile Application Developer, Full Stack Engineer, Front-End Developer, DevOps Consultant who manages software development and IT operations

Required Skills : JavaScript, web development, Amazon Web Services (AWS), MySQL and HTML programming languages

Where are the jobs: Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Singapore

Main positions: Financial advisor, accountant, financial planner, finance specialist, insurance agent

Required Skills : Financial planning, insurance, risk management, financial analysis, accounting

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Manila, Philippines; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore

Main positions: ESL teacher, Chinese teacher, academic tutor, computer teacher, math tutor

Required Skills : Educational leadership, development of language teaching programs, English as a second language (ESL), tutoring

Where are the jobs: West Java Province, Indonesia; Manila, Philippines; Samut Songkhram, Thailand; Bangkok, Thailand

Main positions: Social Media Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Marketing Specialist, Marketing Analyst

Required Skills : Social Media Marketing, Copywriting, Google Analytics, Lead Generation, Digital Marketing

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore

Main positions: Online specialist, e-commerce coordinator

Required Skills : Online Marketing, Ecommerce, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) To Help Drive Web Traffic

Where are the jobs: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Jakarta, Indonesia; Singapore

Main positions: Sales specialist, account manager, account manager, business development specialist

Required Skills : Negotiation, account management, business development, business planning, lead generation to help attract consumer interest

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore

Main positions: Medical technologist, pharmacy assistant, health assistant, military doctor, medical specialist

Required Skills : Healthcare, medical assistance, pharmaceuticals, medical education, clinical research

Where are the jobs: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; Singapore

Main positions: Customer service manager, customer support specialist, contact center specialist

Required Skills : Contact center customer service, customer support, team leadership

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Singapore

Main positions: Doctor, general practitioner, doctor, nurse, paramedic

Required Skills : Nursing, Medicine, Healthcare, Basic Life Support (BLS), Emergency Medicine

Where are the jobs: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Riau Islands Province, Indonesia; Singapore

Main positions: Cybersecurity analyst, cybersecurity consultant, information security specialist

Required Skills : Penetration testing, information security, security information and event management (SIEM), cybersecurity

Where are the jobs: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore

Main positions: Distributor, logistics manager, operational specialist, logistics manager

Required Skills : Operations management, supply chain management, warehouse operations

Where are the jobs: Bangkok, Thailand; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Manila, Philippines; Singapore

Main positions: Public relations coordinator, public relations director, public relations officer

Required Skills : Public relations, media relations, press release writing, event management, social media marketing

Where are the jobs: Jakarta, Indonesia; Bandung, West Java, Indonesia; Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia; Province of East Kalimantan, Indonesia; Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia