5 Digital, In-Demand Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago

July 28, 2016

Imagine yourself as a fresh college graduate, ten years ago, at the beginning of a daunting job hunt. Scrolling through job titles on the Opportunities page of LinkedIn would look quite different compared to what you might see today.

A popular topic of discussion in recent years has been how the ongoing surge in technology is causing the replacement of jobs. But technology is also creating new jobs.

Many of these newly created jobs may sound foreign to some, but they do serve traditional marketing and communication needs in companies, just in different ways. Here are a few job titles that you may not have seen a decade ago, with some information to help you understand the new job roles and decide if one is right for you.

Social Media Editor

Some people may scoff at those who are constantly checking Twitter feed or Instagram likes, but social media has come to play a vital role in a company’s public image. As described in one of our previous posts, a social media editor is someone who is responsible for managing a company’s social media presence (and likely enjoys sipping on cappuccinos while doing so). Along with managing the company’s profile across various platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, they also design plans and strategies to increase consumer interaction and engagement.

Social media editors may also be in charge of coaching their colleagues on how to use different social media applications. This role is important in companies that need to share relevant information and connect with their communities on a personal level.

Payscale provides a breakdown of the salary information for this position.

SEO Specialist

In order for a company to be discoverable, it needs to rank high in search result lists. Otherwise, it’ll be lost in the lonely back pages of Google, where no one cares to go. Here’s where search engine optimization (SEO) specialists are handy. Their main role is to analyze, review, and increase optimization of a company’s content in order to maximize traffic to their website.

An SEO specialist’s responsibilities focus on getting the company’s name and website to show up regularly in keyword searches within the first few pages. To succeed, they may test different search engine marketing and advertising techniques to improve searchability.

Here are the details of an SEO specialist’s average salary.

User Experience Designer

Navigating through websites or mobile apps that we use often can become so second nature that we can almost do it with our eyes closed. One job in high demand for many tech companies requires someone who can create that easy navigation—a user experience (UX) designer. A UX designer is in charge of using technology to create an experience that feels natural and comfortable for the user.

A frustrating experience will drive users away, so it is important for a company to provide a platform that is satisfying enough to want to use again. UX designers must study and analyze the human–computer interaction and consider aspects such as perception, utility, and efficiency when people use software.

Here are the details of a UX designer’s average salary.

Content Marketing Manager

The requirement for a company to have a working website has created the need for someone to manage it. Enter the content marketing manager. Working with the new roles of SEO specialists and social media editors, content marketing managers create branded content for the company that is both engaging and discoverable. Their main responsibility is to develop a strategy that provides interesting and informative content to current and potential customers.

To develop a cohesive brand for the company, the content marketing manager’s skills must include writing and editing. Using these abilities, the content marketing manager supplies the company website with compelling written content and assists with the graphic design of the website layout and necessary visuals.

Here is the average salary of a content marketing manager.

Blogger

Blogging as a hobby has been around since the ’90s, starting out as public diaries for people to vent and freely share their opinions. Now, blogging has expanded from personal writing to include business blogging, video blogging (vlogging), Instagram posts, and more. It has also become a profession in multiple industries, such as news, food, and fashion, where people can earn hefty paychecks.

The conversational style and distinct personalities in blogging create bonds between bloggers and their readers, which companies can use to push products. Respected bloggers with vast readerships often promote brands that sponsor them, and they are often paid per post.

Here is the average salary of a blogger.

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