5 Media Jobs That Didn’t Exist 5 Years Ago

5 Media Jobs That Didn’t Exist 5 Years Ago

The rapid pace of innovation has altered the career landscape, rendering some jobs nearly obsolete and creating entirely new media jobs that didn't exist a few years ago. This is especially true in the field of media, which has expanded from print, radio and television to encompass a new range of digital formats. New media professionals use the Internet to deliver information and entertainment in entirely new ways. Although the technology may be new, a combination of old-fashioned creativity, dedication, and hard work still pave the route to success. Here are five media jobs that didn't exist five years ago.


SEO Strategist

Although Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been around for most of the past decade, it has become increasingly important to modern day companies. SEO refers to techniques that maximize a website's search engine ranking and, ideally, place it on the first page of search results. With search engines like Google continually tweaking their ranking algorithm, technical expertise and creativity are required to develop content that regularly lands websites at the top of search engine results. Many SEO strategists are paid high consultant fees to increase clients' web traffic and revenue stream. Working in SEO requires both marketing and technical skills, as well as a deep understanding of search engine workings and web user interaction.

Social Media Manager

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn have experienced an explosion in popularity in the past five years. Companies and individuals who want to leverage social media work with social media managers to create an online brand identity. Unlike traditional marketing, social media involves two-way communication between companies and potential customers. Social media tools are used to foster customer awareness, increase website traffic and create favorable buzz. Social Media Managers differ from Community Managers in the sense that their role is brand new in the past five years. Community Managers have been around on forums and blogs for the past 15-20 years. However even the role of community manager has exploded in the past 5 years with the advent of community spilling out onto social platforms. The roles are different but equally as important.

Blogger

What began as online journaling has become a new form of journalism. Professional bloggers create posts that may be informational, editorial or commercial. Blog posts are often part of an SEO strategy designed to attract visitors to a website and help establish an online brand or identity. They’re key to community management strategies as well to retain customers & keep them talking & engaged. They are also used by websites to help generate revenue from advertising. Even though traditional jobs in print journalism are dwindling, the opportunities for bloggers are growing at a rapid pace.

App Designer

The proliferation of smart phones and tablets has led to an increasing demand for well-designed apps. App designers help decide what an app will do, how it will look and how users interact with it. Companies are discovering that a custom-designed app can be a powerful marketing tool. There is also a market for apps that perform a unique function. Many designers have become overnight successes thanks to an original app that is downloaded by multitudes of users.

Content Developer

Web content developers research and write content for publication on websites. They also add graphics, video and sound to websites. The skills used by content developers include writing and editing, graphic design and multimedia development. They also must understand how to use website-building tools to design, layout and publish a website. Content developers may work with SEO strategists and social media managers to publicize a website, although sometimes they themselves are also responsible for these functions. Many of these careers are so novel that there are no established paths for getting trained for and finding such jobs. A multitude of websites, books and online courses teach new media skills. Once you're confident about your knowledge and skills, you can find jobs through online job postings or by attending industry conferences, seminars and workshops. When you're just starting out, an internship is a good way to get your foot in the door while taking advantage of on-the-job training. You can also network with potential customers and other professionals through blogs and social media. Developing a personal website that includes information about your training and experience is a great way to attract potential employers and advertise your skills.
This article was written by Community Manager, Jenn Pedde, on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2tor — an education technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as University of Southern California to deliver top MSW programs. Jenn is also the co-founder of TheCommunityManager.com, and loves to travel.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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