What are your favourite phrases used to describe Trinidad & Tobago?

Is it ‘Sweet, sweet T&T’?

While there is truth to that, realistically Trinidad & Tobago is undergoing socio-economic changes that reshapes the way we live, think and even work in this country.

According to the Internal Monetary Fund (IMF), Gross Domestic Product is expected to grow only by 0.2% in 2019, and 1.9% by 2023. Additionally, foreign exchange is relatively tight, and inflation forecasted at 2.7%. However, due to advancements in technology and a focus on less energy dependence, and economic diversity, new career opportunities are becoming a reality.

What are the Top Career Opportunities in Trinidad & Tobago?

1. Ecommerce

Retail has inevitably gone from a ‘brick and mortar’ to a ‘click and mortar’ model. Technology has made it possible to build online businesses. For example, vendors can establish online stores through ShupHub which sells goods and services across the Caribbean. Platforms such as WiPay facilitate online payments to these companies.

Ventures including TriniTrolley.com and digital stores demonstrate that e-commerce is the culture of the future. This career opportunity requires an understanding of the language of the internet. E-commerce skills involve selling, creating a customer service experience and creativity to produce marketable content.

 2. Digital Marketing

As e-commerce expands, modern companies in Trinidad & Tobago desire online content through blogs, videos, and digital campaigns to market their products over digital stores or social media. Opportunities are open for graphic designers, videographers, photographers, web developers and content marketers to produce valuable content.

Online marketing professionals require digital communication skills. They must be able to write clearly, in a conversational, yet persuasive style to capture the attention of readers and effectively sell products in a world of unlimited traffic and noise.

The ability to interpret and analyse data is also important. What were the figures for customer acquisition from this campaign? What is the return on investment (ROI) from our social media marketing efforts? How many visitors landed on our company’s website last month? How many of those leads converted to sales?

Design skills such as graphic design, videography and photography are valuable because the online world is visually driven. Additionally, technical skills such as coding are useful when building new applications, platforms or software.

3. Petrochemicals and Natural Gas

Petroleum and natural gas have long been the backbone of the Trinidad & Tobago economy. Several high-profile projects such as the gas production of the Angelin platform in 2019 and the Cassia Compression and Matapal expected in 2021 and 2022 respectively, modest economic growth in Trinidad & Tobago is anticipated due to these developments and further gas exploration by BP Trinidad & Tobago.

High-value skills for professionals in the energy sector include technical and engineering competencies as well as environmental awareness, system processing and thinking skills. Energy professionals will also need to include financial and cost analysis, research, teamwork, stakeholder and project management skills in their resume. These skills demonstrate their capability to analyse the implications of projects as well as how the environment and stakeholders’ investments must be managed.

4. Agribusiness

Agriculture is also developing into a sector where entrepreneurial thinking has allowed innovation to change the way local organic food is grown and sold. This development has created Caribbean Cure teas, where traditional ‘bush tea’ has been packaged and marketed to a global audience. The entrepreneurs behind this venture developed their ginger, moringa, turmeric and mauby flavours using a modernised dehydration process to create a delicious, custom brew.

With the upcoming establishment of the Moruga Agro Processing & Light Industrial Manufacturing Park and other agricultural investments, using a science-based approach to grow fresher produce with a longer shelf life provides a compelling case for agri-business to provide many lucrative opportunities. Technology, investment and innovation has transformed a traditional, non-glamourous industry to a thriving agri-business sector to provide sustainable food production.

Agri-business requires strong, creative and problem-solving skills with an entrepreneurial mindset to identify inventive ways to produce fresher, organic crops. Agri-business also requires robust business skills such as marketing, management, merchandising and environmental economics. Biological and agricultural knowledge to test soils, fertilisers, gardening techniques and pest control also generate profits within this sector.

5. Non-energy Export

The non-energy export market headed by companies such as SM Jaleel exporting beverages to markets in South Africa and Saudi Arabia, Carib acquiring breweries in Florida and Carib Glass signing trade agreements and exporting to Cuba indicate that career opportunities in exporting consumer goods have become international.

With local companies such as Sacha Cosmetics, Angostura and Ansa McCal seeing growth opportunities abroad, organisations such as ExporTT have become instrumental in providing research, training, grants and marketing for local producers to take advantage of the export and penetrate new and lucrative foreign markets. This is critical as new sources of foreign revenue, outside the energy sector becomes necessary.

Skills required to become an exporter ranges from research, selling and marketing, particularly in foreign territories as well as financial management. Exporters will need to have a thorough understanding of market penetration and product development as their product may have to be altered to suit the demands of a foreign consumer.

6. Information Communications Technology

Opportunities in ICT involve creating platforms for companies to hold virtual conference meetings, data protection, creating intranets for information sharing as well as building security networks, mobile apps and software to allow greater data access and efficient systems for companies. Individuals with technical expertise and knowledge can also establish consultancy businesses to assist companies in upgrading their technology infrastructure.

Pursuing a career as an ICT professional requires sound technical skills such as coding and network management. Forward thinking skills such as project management, teamwork and analytical problem solving as well as adaptability, attention to detail and decisive decision-making will provide the best service to clients.

 7. Commercial Real Estate

With Airbnb and the attraction of foreign investments, there are significant opportunities for individuals to earn rental income from their homes or invest in high-rise apartment complexes and opportunities.

Projects such as  The Inez Development, allocating 190 acres of land for residential and 13 acres for commercial advancement in Tobago, together with the investment of Gulf View in Trinidad for a four-star hotel and business conference complex indicates that commercial real estate in the island offers career opportunities for investment, purchasing, becoming a real estate agent or leasing and renting of commercial property.

Pursuing a career opportunity in commercial real estate requires local knowledge of the landscape, pricing systems and real estate license. A professional in real estate would advance their career through strategic thinking. Mastering selling, presentation and negotiation techniques would be valuable with advanced communication, research and customer service capabilities reflecting well on a resume.