Tell someone that times are good right now, and they probably won’t disagree. The job situation is good in general, as are the prospects for Djøf members. But are robots a dark cloud on the horizon? What about Brexit? And how should we take all this talk about an economic slowdown? How is the job market going to look for members in 2019? And, are there are some industries that will be safer havens than others?
We asked Jesper Bo Jensen, an author and futurist, and Steen Vive, a senior advisor for Djøf Karriere og Erhverv, which offers career counselling, to give us their forecasts for which types of firms will be looking to hire Djøf members in the coming year.
Consultancy
In August, Djøfbladet reported that, between 2008 and 2016, the number of employees with social-science degrees working for consultancies increased 69%. Vive foresees the trend continuing for the time being.
“The consultancy industry has been growing apace for some time now and that’s going to continue. That means new jobs for Djøf members. We’ll see new, senior-level positions, which highly specialised Djøf members will be attractive candidates for, but we’ll also see entry-level positions,” he says.
Jensen agrees, wryly suggesting an explanation.
“We believe the economic expansion has reached its peak and that we might see it slow down a bit. When things slow down, people hire consultants. You could call it an advanced form of passing the buck; if you hire a consultant to make cuts then you can give them the blame afterwards.”
Finance
If you work in finance, you’ve probably heard more than your fair share of bad jokes about the industry. A seemingly endless run of banking scandals has left the industry’s image in tatters, but for Djøf members looking to work in finance, the outlook is good.
“The finance industry is being met with ever-more compliancy requirements. That means they need more solicitors,” Vive says. “Going forward, there are going to be excellent job opportunities in the industry for our members. We’ve also got a general election coming up. If the opposition wins, the industry may wind up seeing even more regulation.”
Jensen doesn’t expect the election will impact the industry much, regardless of how it turns out. His take is that scepticism can be found across the political spectrum. But, he agrees that scrutiny of the industry may mean more jobs for members.
“The finance industry has hired a lot of Djøf members in recent years,” he says. “Given the way the industry is viewed right now, we shouldn’t expect them to be increasing their payrolls as a whole, but that’s not the same as saying as they won’t add positions that Djøf members would be qualified for.”
Construction
Another industry Jensen expects will be hiring members is construction and engineering.
“This a growth area,” Jensen says. “Firms need their engineers to do engineering, and a lot of companies will see the value of hiring Djøf members who can work in teams. The big construction and engineering firms often look to recruit people working in Djøf fields given the complex nature of the industry. There are lots of rules and regulations.”
Construction activity can also create public-sector jobs, Jensen adds, due to the state’s increasing interest the impact projects have.
“One of the tasks is making sure projects are in the public’s interest. Companies need licence to operate; they get told how they should conduct their business. The social aspect of doing business is much more important than it ever has been. Companies don’t get permission to start projects until the state gives its okay,” he says.
Export
With talk of trade wars and uncertainty surrounding Brexit, you’d think finding job dealing with trade and exports would be a bad career move at the moment. Not actually, according to Vive.
“Only the fewest companies export, and that’s because to export you need a carefully thought-out strategy,” he says. “That’s something our members can help with. Right now, the economy is expanding rapidly, and so is trade, so it’s not unthinkable that more members will be finding export-related jobs.”
When it comes to Brexit, he reckons it’s too soon to tell whether it will lead to job growth or job losses for members.
Jensen, too, sees few signs trade will slow down.
“Even though we all go around telling each other that trade volume is declining, the fact is that it is increasing at a rate of three or four percent,” he says.
Between January and October 2018, the number of members working in trade-related jobs rose 2.6% and now stands at 2,799, according to Djøf statistics.
Sustainability
No, there’s no sustainability industry, but it is a topic that consumers, firms and elected officials are taking more interest in. And that, Jensen and Vive agree, means more jobs related to the issue.
“We’re seeing a lot of political requirements tied to sustainability and the number can only be expected to grow. At the same time, we’re seeing firms take a more socially responsible approach to the way they do business. That could mean a lot of new Djøf-oriented jobs,” Vive says.
How many jobs is a lot? A recent study by Gate 21, a network of local councils, firms, universities, research outfits and the like working to promote sustainability, concludes that 95,000 could be created by 2035, if investment continues as predicted, and if Denmark maintains its share of the global market.
(Published by Djøfbladet. Originally published in Danish).