We live in a small and interconnected world.  The happenings during the year 2011 have made us realize this truth.  What happens in one part affects everyone across the world. We now have the capability to access everything happening across the world with the click of a button.  The advancements in digital and electronic communications, demographics, business practices and the shift in the global economy has presented us with new carrier opportunities.  The top ten job profiles for 2012 are as follows:

Social media manager

Social media has gained huge popularity among the masses within a short duration and now it has become a phenomenon. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc has made a great impact in the way we work and live. This is evident from the fact that more and more marketers and advertisers are integrating social media into their business strategies. They use social media to make contact with the customers and to develop social networks within organizations and outside.

The younger generation who are hired for social media marketing are excited to work along with Tweeting, re-tweeting, facebooking, etc which helps them to be updated with the information provided by those who are online. Companies employ professionals to monitor social media networks to determine the traffic volume, bounce rates and other important metrics, creating social media contents for new campaigns, providing solutions for customers, brainstorming, idea generation etc.

A social media manager has a great deal of responsibility attached to the position as the reputation and voice of the brand is in the hands of the social media manager.

Mobile applications manager

The huge popularity of Apple’s application stores and many other such stores from other well known mobile brands has resulted in the emergence of a new breed of professional programmers who are specialized in developing applications for mobile phones. Such professional programmers will also help in fighting security and compatibility issues. Such professionals require in depth knowledge of interface design, web service, databases, etc

With more than 100 million mobile users in India, the mobile applications programming will open up huge opportunities for those who are creative and are qualified.

Natural resources manager

Another career opportunity that demands large number of environment professionals is the natural resource manager. The primary responsibility of these managers is to maintain and conserve the ecosystem that we live in to ensure our survival. As a result of effort on sustainable development, such managers are in great demand, where they offer services in the form of advises and suggestions to accomplish developmental processes with minimal impact on the environment. The role of a natural resources manager is interesting as well as challenging. The manager may be asked to work alone or as a team, will have work in different environmental conditions, will have to carry out community education programs, carry out research studies, etc. The salary given to such professionals is reasonably high. Another advantage of the career is that the opportunity extents across various fields.

Social entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurship is the next big thing that is going to impact the country. Social entrepreneurs will have increased importance and role to play in a country like India where we are struggling to strike a balance between increasing gross domestic product, inclusive growth, and tackling other issues like education, poverty, power, infrastructure, climate change, and more. Social entrepreneurs are mostly linked to voluntary associations and nonprofit organizations. But this does not mean that one cannot reap benefits for his or her livelihood. To pursue a successful career as a social entrepreneur, one should have a passion towards social work.

Educational consultants

The education sector in India is undergoing dramatic changes and is evolving as time progresses. Higher education institutions are being set up across the country in huge numbers. It is estimated that India willneed more than 700 universities and 35,000 new colleges within 5 years to cater to the increasing demand. This is not an opportunity just for the teachers, but also for others who wish to pursue a career in the education industry.

With the people becoming more demanding in terms of the components of good education, there is an ever increasing demand for non teaching professionals too. Educational consultancies with efficient educational consultants are in need to provide guidance and counseling to students in matters of education which involves career counseling, preparing students to take examinations that are competitive in nature.

With the advancement in internet technology and various other communications technologies such as mobile phone, radio, etc. distance education has become easy and simple. Various institutions offer large number of online courses and training courses over the internet which has increased accessibility. Now it is possible for teacher to teach students at a remote location with help of a computer and internet.

Specialty chefs

Cooking is considered as an art rather than a science. We have heard about many famous chefs who have achieved celebrity status. For some cooking is favorite pastime, while for others it is a field which presents them with huge career opportunity and growth potential. Now it is a time when specialist chefs are in great demand.

To lead a successful career as a chef, one should have excellent technical and communication skills along with a positive attitude.

Organic food professional

In the year 2012 organic food and beverage industry will represent 10 per cent of the market. So the industry will require organic food producers, certification experts, retailers and scientists.

Computational biology expert

The increasing need to integrate computer science, biology and mathematics in the field of research has presented with huge opportunities for professionals in this field. The qualifications required include a graduate degree in bio informatics, computer science, maths, and biology along with in depth knowledge in computer programming.

Simulation Engineering

With the increasing processing power of computers and increasing data processing capability, simulations will become more lively and realistic. This calls for increased demand for simulation engineers.

Brain analysts

With the advancements in brain imaging tools, professionals will be able to find out how people will feel and react to certain stimuli. The field has increased application in present day world. so the demand for such professionals is increasing.