University of São Paulo: Pandemic was the trigger to boost technology-related professions
Data scientist. Artificial Intelligence Engineer. Software developer. What do these professions have in common? All are professions of the future, especially in the area of information technology. But the pandemic showed us that this future was closer than imagined. Driven by social isolation, the areas of action directly involved with technology have taken a leap forward and, in the face of current demands, have been transformed.
Tania Casado, professor at the Faculty of Economics, Administration and Accounting (FEA) and director of the Career Development Office (ECAr) at the University of São Paulo, explains that the transformations are natural and that the pandemic was just a trigger for the changes seen today.
In addition to boosting, social isolation can also have its downsides. In Tania’s perception, professions that deal directly with human interaction and objects of common use were the most affected. “We had to adapt. It is natural that this need ends up bringing demands for work, technologies, products and services that will affect and ask for more people from these areas”, she explains.
careers of the future
ECAr carried out the Careers of the Future survey in 2019, with the aim of establishing the main areas of activity in the job market. According to the study, the top ten areas on the rise are: education, energy, entertainment, ethics, infrastructure, innovation, health, safety, socio-environmental and digital transformation. “So, for example, in the area of infrastructure, we saw many areas adapting to isolation”, explains Tania.
Tania says that, even with the reassessment of research after the pandemic, the areas of activity remained the same in relation to market expectations. “The big ten areas are still there, but they’re picking up some things [uniques] now in the pandemic,” she clarifies.
unemployment and specialization
The current scenario of the pandemic also showed another side of the coin: unemployment. Brazil surpassed the mark of 13 million unemployed, according to IBGE data from the third quarter of last year. However, Tania believes that the search for specialization does not guarantee a formal contract. “The problem is not just because of the pandemic; unemployment is a structural problem”, she assesses.
About specializations, Tania evaluates them as fickle. “The specialty that helps you today may not help you later; there are specialties that we are throwing away and the ones we are creating now”, she concludes.