How important is it to work in your field of study? “People with technical skills will be sought more and more”. What the labor market looks like in 2026
Can you make a career in a certain field if you have education in another? Until recently, many employees found success in fields of work other than the ones they studied. However, recent trends indicate a growing preference for specialization in one's chosen field. But there are other key factors that make the difference, especially in the context of technology and the accelerated evolution of artificial intelligence.
PHOTO Ioana Bucimar
Higher studies in the field: advantage or necessary condition?
The answer to the question is complicated. Qualification is an important asset, which employers value, but not the only condition, explains Cristina Gheorghe, HR expert:
“Studies provide a solid theoretical foundation and the combination with practice makes the difference. The World Economic Forum emphasizes that, in the context of rapid market transformations, formal education combined with continuous learning is essential for adaptation.”
What you have to do if you want to work in a field other than the one studied
An increasingly visible advantage on the labor market is the orientation towards skills, not just diplomas. Under certain conditions, candidates with studies in other fields do not necessarily leave with a second chance for a position.
“If they demonstrate applied skills, results and motivation — through internships, volunteering or projects — employers recognize their value.” says Cristina Gheorghe.
Another factor that can make a difference is whether the field studied still resembles the one in which you want to make a career. Graduates of Communication, Journalism, Foreign Languages, Public Relations or Political Science can, for example, work in a number of fields in the same field. And a marketing graduate can become effective in a data analytics role, for example.
Is it possible without studies?
Over the years, especially in American culture, there have been numerous examples of visionary leaders who have managed to make both careers and fortunes without a college degree. Steve Jobs, for example, dropped out of college. Closer to us, in Romania, Selly followed the same model. He dropped out of college before the first day of school.
Cristina Gehorghe says:
“Success without college requires hard work, discipline, self-education. There are fields — IT, sales, digital marketing, logistics, creative industries, sports, entrepreneurship — where you can grow without a college degree.”
So there may be success, but it is more difficult to achieve and only under certain conditions. An OECD report, Education at a Glance, carried out in 2025, shows that university-educated adults have significantly higher employment rates and better resilience in the labor market, even when their level of practical skills is similar to those without higher education.
What are the global trends
Futere Jobs 2025 Report, by World Economic Forum, and other recent studies show that by 2030 about 40% of the skills in the market will change.
“Increasingly looking for people with technical skills: AI, digital, human and cognitive skills: critical thinking, resilience, creativity, teamwork and people who will continue to develop and adapt easily”explains Cristina Gheorghe.
In other words, no matter how good you are in a field now, in the near future the speed of adaptability and rapid acquisition of new knowledge and skills will also matter a lot.
PHOTO by Pixabay
The labor market in Romania
A report carried out only on the Romanian market shows that 55% of the Romanians surveyed want to retrain to adapt to the new context, in which artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role, while 40% say they will do so only if necessary, and 5% do not intend to at all.
Regardless of qualification, however, the outlook for employment at the start of the year is cautious. A study carried out by ManpowerGroup shows that in the period from January to March 2024, the Net Employment Forecast is 0%.
In June, last year, the number of employees in Romania was 5,727,660, according to data published by the Ministry of Labor.
Do Romanians work or not in the studied field?
There are no official data at the level of state institutions regarding the number of Romanians who work in the same or other field than the one studied. The Eurostat reports also help us to get an overall picture. Such research, carried out in 2022, showed that Romania is the country with the highest rate of mismatch between the job and the field in which the employees trained. The greatest match was recorded in Health, a field in which you cannot practice without a qualification. In Agriculture, on the other hand, we had a mismatch rate of almost 60%. And, perhaps surprisingly, in Education the mismatch rate reached 55%.
Romania, in last place in the European Union in terms of higher education graduates
Another Eurostat analysis shows that only 23.2% of young Romanians between the ages of 25 and 34 have completed university. Which places us last in the European Union in this respect. At the opposite pole, the best are Ireland (65.2%), Luxembourg (63.8%) and Cyprus (60.1%).
At the same time, a report made even by the former Minister of Education, Daniel David, showed that 40% of Romanian students drop out of their chosen faculty in the very first year.
“There are causes related to career guidance, they didn't know exactly what that specialization meant. Know that many start with several specializations at the beginning and realize that they don't do two and stay with only one, but they are counted in that 40% percentage. I think there are also social problems,” said Daniel David at Interviuriure Adevărul.
