【115 years of Hong Kong Recruitment Market】— Eight New Jobs Facilitated by Technological Innovation

The British newspaper the Daily Mail once ranked the greatest technological inventions of the 21st century in order. The shortlist included the iPhone, Facebook, YouTube, and 4G, all of which have markedly changed our way of life. These technologies have redefined the workforce, too. Learning a specific skill or trade is no longer enough in an economy driven by technology, and employees are expected to be tech savvy as well. What’s more, new technology has created many new occupations. Below are eight new jobs that have resulted from technological advances.

1. Key Opinion Leader (KOL)

The internet has spawned countless celebrities who grow their reputations on social media or video-sharing websites. One major type of internet celebrity is the key opinion leader (KOL), a celebrity who has expert knowledge and strong influence in a specific field. Hong Kong has its fair share of KOLs, such as Tat Gor (video games), Ben Sir (Cantonese), Uncle Siu (English) and KC (food). Investors see online marketing as a new growth opportunity, and seek out KOLs as spokespersons as they have large and devoted followings. KOLs certainly don’t come cheap, and their commercial posts can cost tens of thousands of dollars apiece.

2. Online Marketer

Online marketers use the internet to build and promote a brand image. Companies have been ditching traditional media such as TV, radio, print and email as venues for advertisement placement in favour of advertising their products or services on social networking sites which foster interaction between sellers and buyers. A holistic approach to online marketing should feature text, image, video, and audio, on a social media page with the aim of getting likes and shares.

Social media management plays a major role in online marketing. Online marketers are hired to engage with target customers in real time and soft-sell their employers’ brands. Hong Kong is no stranger to digital advertisement platforms. Blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, Twitter and LinkedIn are all widely used in the city.

3. Data Analyst

Companies use big data to track user behaviour, but simply possessing lots of data doesn’t automatically lead to better marketing. Large data sets need sorting, repackaging and interpreting to reveal trends and patterns, and that’s the job of the data analyst. The analyst must have an excellent capacity for analysis, communication and attention to detail, as his or her day-to-day duties involve plenty of interaction with both numbers and humans.

4. Cybersecurity Analyst

In the age of e-commerce, a seemingly minor security breach is enough to incur heavy losses and lose the trust of customers. Security must adhere to the highest standards, as cloud computing, mobile internet services, big data and mobile payment apps are all susceptible to cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity analysts play a crucial role in e-commerce, and their responsibilities are manifold. They develop security systems and also work on virus protection, database management, and data loss prevention, among other projects.

5. Esports Player

The short name for electronic sports, esports is a new type of competition that pits player against player in a range of video games. Officially announced as a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games, esports is a booming industry with gaming leagues, rankings, professional players, training programmes, organisers, and sponsors. The global revenue of esports is reported to have reached US$493 million in 2016, and it’s predicted there will be 600 million esports viewers by 2020. Esports is in its infancy in Hong Kong, with around 300 thousand players involved in this fast-growing area. It is believed that esports will drive progress in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors, which in turn will increase the revenues in hospitality, tourism, food and beverage, entertainment, and real estate.

6. Dietitian

Nowadays people are shifting their health focus from treatment to prevention. The increasing public awareness of how to live a healthier life has spurred people to become dieticians. A combination of nutritionist, healthcare expert, herbalist, and psychiatrist, this new breed of professional collects and manages health data, and analyses health risks to draw up diet and exercise programmes.

There are about 300 registered dietitians in Hong Kong. They are employed in public institutions, private hospitals, food and beverage companies, schools, fitness centres, and sanatoriums. There is a growing market demand for their expertise.

7. Home Declutterer

The Japanese concept of danshari should strike a resonant chord with most Hongkongers, whose infamously small flats are getting even smaller. The term, which literally translates as “refuse, dispose, separate,” suggests ditching unnecessary possessions for the simple life. The goal of home decluttering, an occupation originating in Japan, is not just clearing clutter and tidying up homes, but also helping their clients to re-evaluate what the concept of possession means. Declutterers charge by the hour. In Hong Kong, these followers of minimalism are usually hired for expert advice when the client is moving house or relocating abroad.

8. Mystery Shopper

Service industries are the lifeblood of Hong Kong’s economy. Good service is fundamental for companies to remain competitive, so some businesses hire mystery shoppers to assess the quality of their frontline services and evaluate employee performance. Mystery shoppers are an emerging class of trained professionals who act on instructions and report back afterwards. “Be yourself” is the motto of the mystery shopper, and they strive hard to remain undercover, as the mission fails if their cover is blown.

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Eight New Jobs Facilitated by Technological Innovation