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Marketing by Design – Design thinking that makes marketing work

AD78: What Will Business Look Like in 2030?: WEF

Published almost 2 years ago • 3 min read
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20 January 2025 | Issue #78

In this issue:

  • World Economic Forum's 290 page jobs report
  • Perception of AI's impact on jobs, by country [infographic]
  • The future of digital must be cultivating community
  • LinkedIn introduces new job application tools
  • Design Quote of the Week

A tip before we get started. Whenever I show the prompt for my images, you'll notice "--ar 16:9" at the end of the prompt. This tells Midjourney to create an image in 16:9 ratio. Then I bring it into a Photoshop file and drop one of three borders onto the image.

The World Economic Forum has released its Future of Jobs report and it's a doozy. 290 pages of information to make you worried (or optimistic) about the future.

Some outlets were quick to release recaps of the report. They probably used AI to pull key information from the report. Which makes sense because much of the report talks about the impact AI will have on jobs.

Jobs at risk

It appears your favorite administrators could face challenging times ahead. Administrative assistants, executive secretaries, postal service clerks, bank tellers, and data entry workers were all listed as being at the greatest risk of job elimination.

For anyone who works in complex organizations, EAs are the most important people. As people jockey for time with an executive, can a bot really determine who gets in and who doesn't?

It's not all bad

On the plus side, there are a bunch of jobs that were essential during the pandemic, and they'll see their roles grow. farm workers, delivery drivers, construction workers, nurses, social workers, and other personal care aides are expected to see more roles.

Teachers are another job that is expected to be in more demand. Being the son of an educator, and friends with many more, I don't know how they deal with the demands and low pay of teaching. But, the job will always be in demand, even if it comes with significant headaches.

As for tech ...

Areas adjacent to AI are going to continue to be growth areas. Big data, cybersecurity, and machine learning specialists are high growth areas. The report also shows growth in design and development roles. I'm glad to see some good news on that front.

Here is the list that SEJ compiled in their review:

  1. Big Data Specialists
  2. FinTech Engineers
  3. AI and Machine Learning Specialists
  4. Software and Applications Developers
  5. Security Management Specialists
  6. Data Warehousing Specialists
  7. Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Specialists
  8. UI and UX Designers
  9. Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers
  10. Internet of Things Specialists
  11. Data Analysts and Scientists
  12. Environmental Engineers
  13. Information Security Analysts
  14. DevOps Engineer
  15. Renewable Energy Engineers

What's next?

Businesses need to do a better job upskilling their people. Some people are getting training, but not enough. If you're working on new skills, start a lunch and learn and share those skills with your coworkers. The more everyone knows, the more productive they can be. The more productive they are, the more the business will benefit and want to keep those motivated people around.

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

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📈 AI’s Perceived Impact on Job Creation, by Country

If you'd rather look at an infographic at how countries think AI will impact jobs, this is for you

​Check it out​

👯‍♂️ The Future of Digital Must be in Cultivating Communities

Amber Naslund breaks down why social isn't what it was promised to be, so we need to focus on building authentic relationships.

​Keep reading​

👩🏼‍🎨 LinkedIn Adds Free AI Tools for Job Hunters and Recruiters

Remember when LinkedIn was a site for job hunting? It looks like it wants to regain some of that reputation again.

People are applying to 9,000 jobs per minute on LinkedIn. It's no surprise you can't cut through the noise. Hopefully these new tools will help people find the the right job and give them a leg up.
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​Keep reading​

⌧ Instagram profile grids are going to feature rectangles instead of squares

It's time to re-crop your IG photos. Instagram announced that its grid photos will now be rectangles, not squares.
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​Keep reading​

Design Quote of the Week

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”
– Rachel Zoe

My AI disclaimer: I wrote everything myself this week If AI generates the images, I include the prompt so you can see how I got to that image. Nothing in this newsletter, or anything I publish anywhere, reflects the views of my employer.

Thanks for reading!

–Jim

14 Grapevine Road, Merrimack, NH 03054
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Marketing by Design – Design thinking that makes marketing work

Jim MacLeod

I test the AI tools, design trends, and brand moves marketers are talking about, then tell you what holds up and what doesn’t. Written by the author of the bestselling The Visual Marketer, after 20+ years leading brand, creative, and digital experience marketing teams.

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