In a recent list of most promising U.S. jobs from LinkedIn’s Official Blog, only a few did not have some relation to process improvement. LinkedIn also noted that these jobs come with “high salaries, a significant number of job openings and year-over-year growth.” It also reported that these jobs are more likely to lead to a promotion.
LinkedIn created the list using information from millions of data sources. This included member profiles, job openings and salaries. They grouped similar jobs based on positions held by members with job openings in the same profession.
They then scored each profession based on salary, career advancement, job openings in the United States, year-over-year growth in job opportunities and regional availability.
The No. 1 job? Data scientist. That’s not surprising given the increased use of data analysis, machine learning and data mining.
Here are six of the jobs in the top 10 that have a connection with process improvement. The year-over-year job growth numbers and salary figures come from LinkedIn’s analysis.
The survey reports 72% job growth in this profession and an annual median salary of $200,000. In this position, ideas from software engineering are brought into IT operations. Software engineering is the birthplace of Agile, which emphasizes using faster processes that retain quality for the final product. It has expanded to many different industries.
The survey reports a 62% increase in job openings with a median annual salary of $182,000. Enterprise account executives manage relationships with a company’s biggest clients. The focus on customer service is a foundation of Lean. They also develop strategic plans that improve processes and maximize sales potential.
There has been a staggering 87% growth in openings for product owners. The median annual salary is $101,000. With an Agile scrum, the product owner acts as the key stakeholder. They have a vision for the final product. They ensure it meets consumer demands. Their main goal is to ensure the maximum value of the final product.
There has been 80% growth in this job. Median annual salaries have reached $88,500. Customer service managers focus on providing the best possible service to customers. They develop service strategies and may oversee a customer service team. They also may be charged with promoting a customer-first approach throughout an organization.
The number of engagement manager jobs has increased 43%. Median annual salaries are $130,000. Engagement managers go beyond sales, ensuring customers stay engaged with a company’s products and services and are satisfied during every step of the process.
The number of Scrum Master jobs increased 67%. Median annual salaries are $103,000. Scrum Masters manage the team working on a project and have a central job in Agile. They ensure the team moves quickly, adhering to Agile principles. They support self-organizing teams, including developing and managing processes as well as how information is exchanged.
The LinkedIn survey also included five soft skills that employers want in their staff. They wrote that “strengthening soft skills is one of the best investments you can make” because even with innovative technology “nothing will replace human-to-human conversation.”
They also report that 57% of senior leaders rank soft skills as more important than hard skills.
The five soft skills LinkedIn recommends are:
Hard skills in demand include technology skills, as well as skills in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, UX design, mobile app development and video and audio production.
They also include leadership skills, many of which can be improved upon with process improvement knowledge. They include analytical reasoning, people management, sales leadership and competitive strategies.