Gartner says the bridge to the future with social networks will be with roles with origins in the social sciences, reports eWeek. Better understanding of the Web will require skill sets more closely aligned with sociology, psychology and other behavioral-centric sciences.
“In a recent report “Social Science Meets Technology in Next-Generation Jobs,” Gartner Vice President Kathy Harris discusses in some detail four areas of jobs needed in the near future. Though she never really uses the words “social networks” the implication is that most companies aren’t really geared toward taking advantage of the impact of these online communities, and that the numbers will be too large to ignore, regardless of the business you are in.
The four areas detailed include:
- Web User Experience roles that include UI designers, virtual-assistant designers and interaction directors.
- Behavior Analysis roles that include Web psychologists, community designers, and Web/social network miners.
- Information Specialist roles that include information anthropologists who are expected to play historical Web fact finding and assisting in legal analysis, intellectual property management and where the quality of information is at risk.
- Digital Lifestyle Experts roles that include helping senior management understand whats going on and stay aware, and building personal brands and managing online personas for desired online effect.”