THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE dIGITAL JOBS IMPORTANT - jan 2021

The world is going on its way towards a more automation digitalised world due to the recent pandemic (COVID-19) that brings the importance of the digital jobs. The technology sector is still opening more job opportunities despite the pandemic economic meltdown. Many companies have taken steps towards building their business through more online, meaning they turn their business online and new ways of working. Many things now are going digitalises, due to the pandemic as it is easier to analyse and a new way to look at problems and provide different better solutions by looking at the digital data numbers. There are many advantages of the digitalised world that helps the importance of digital jobs to further progress.

Digital technology transformation and jobs are now becoming a transformation key to many companies due to the pandemic. Singapore has also accelerated the footsteps towards a smart nation during this pandemic. By having a nationwide movement, SG Digital, having their digital ambassadors go around old age population groups to encourage them to learn to use their phones, surfing the internet and even paying through those digital payment methods like Pay Now, Pay Lah and others. It does not just stop here and SG digital even managed to bring digital payment methods into local wet markets, and hawker centres. Now going cashless is a new norm. Companies now turn to digital marketing, social media platforms to upscale for their new business models, to bring more success to their companies despite the economic crisis during the pandemic. Many company campaigns are now not just in print form yet an increased number of campaigns have gone online. Having new changes to their company now becomes new opportunities to take any companies to the next level. Some examples of digital skills that are popular now are like programming, web and app development, business analysis, digital design and data visualization, social media marketing and data science etc. Hence, companies will be looking at these new job skills which allow them to go digital at a faster pace and support their new digital way of working. It also increases the competitiveness of companies, and new measures to support the new digital innovation. Digital consumption during the pandemic has also increased rapidly. An article on BDO USA, also a global accounting network company mentioned that home quarantine consumers are turning to digital content providers to meet their entertainment needs (BDO United States, May 2020). Due to coronavirus, the statistics show that 51% of internet consumers worldwide have turned to watch more shows on various streaming services provided, according to the data from Statista (BDO United States, May 2020). Netflix, a streaming service provider had 16 million new signups for its service during the first three months of 2020. While many film studios have been releasing new films to streaming services early to captive audiences (BDO United States, May 2020).

Due to the pandemic, companies are opening up more digital jobs opportunities so that it also helps the company to expand and extend their reach to a greater audience, and create new opportunities in new markets to explore, which means the plan for a next-generation digital industry has been established. Even when the pandemic has passed, consumers preferences and their behaviours which is the new normal to people will continue to stay. By all means, having digital jobs will be a necessity to all companies and businesses which cannot simply let go.

Mr Kevin Wo, who is the managing director of Microsoft Singapore mentioned during an interview with The Straits Times that, "Companies must not only invest in technology but also invest in human capital to cultivate a workplace culture that encourages innovation and embraces digitalisation." (Yip, September 2020) In conclusion, digital jobs now are relevant and linked to the company’s success which allows the company to be able to compete against its competitors. The company will also need to invest in this job opening to create a work environment and culture that allows the new innovative ways to build their companies and welcomes digitalisation with open arms. Hence, due to the pandemic digital jobs are now more important than ever before.

References

Yip, Wai Yee. “Nearly 75% of Singapore firms accelerating digitalisation due to Covid-19.” Singapore, The Straits Times, 10 September 2020, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nearly-75-per-cent-of-singapore-firms-are-accelerating-digitalisation-due-to-covid-19. Accessed 30 January 2021.

BDO United States. “COVID-19 IS ACCELERATING THE RISE OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY.” Strategy, Technology & Transformation, May 2020, https://www.bdo.com/insights/business-financial-advisory/strategy,-technology-transformation/covid-19-is-accelerating-the-rise-of-the-digital-e. Accessed 31 January 2021.