Jobs in the Internet Age
The recession soaked job market feels bleak, lacking in prospect and stale, yet the expansion of the virtual space is in fact creating a whole new sector. We all know how much the Internet means to us; according to recent statistics, the Internet contributes to 8.3% of the UK economy but perhaps more poignantly 76% of people would consider giving up chocolate for an entire year in order to maintain their Internet access – and that’s saying something!
More and more brands are flocking to market themselves on the emergent social platforms of Facebook, Twitter and the like, which in turn is rapidly creating gaping holes in even the most developed companies. How, you ask? Brands need people (who know their stuff) to run such pages and engage the sea of people that they have previously been unable to reach. On top of this, the social space has given companies the added ability to build brand awareness in a way no other can compare.
The success of the Internet economy has massively enhanced the potential reach of online businesses, which will lead them to requiring more staff. It has been calculated that within the developed markets of the G20, the Internet economy is set to add 32 million jobs between 2010 and 2016. It sounds incredible, but the love that our society harbors for the Internet has the power to bring us truly out of this employment slump.
The extraordinary increase has already begun to permeate all job sectors. The advice we would give to those looking for jobs in this far from ideal climate is to stay ahead of their peers by being quick to embrace social technology and trends. Whether it’s Consumer goods (Arena Flowers) Fashion (MiH Jeans), Travel (Healthy Holiday Company) Jewellery (Claudia Bradby), Sport (Fanatix) or Marketing (Rightster).
A growing proportion of the companies recruiting on WEXO require an appreciation and developed understanding of the internet and its importance, not only for their growth but the growth of business as a whole. If the UK is to drag itself out of recession then it is likely that the Internet economy will be the lifeline and leading the way will be the new breed of businessman: the social savvy graduate.
