Jobseeker's Guide to Landing a DPO Job

The need for data protection officers (DPO), or roles related to data protection management, has been growing over the years with an increase of 106% in 2020 compared to 2019 for Singapore, according to DPEX Centre’s Singapore Data Protection Job Demand 2020 report. 

There was a further 54% increase in demand for dedicated DPOs in 2021, according to this year’s research, against the backdrop of COVID-19.

You can start finding data protection roles in our discussion forums where we collate and curate job listings weekly here.

With the pandemic bringing abrupt changes to industries like aviation, F&B and retail, many find themselves having their jobs displaced. With the boom in the demand for data protection expertise, job seekers looking to carve a new niche for themselves may want to transition to being a DPO. So what are the necessary qualifications and skillsets to become an effective DPO? 

In this article, we will discuss the certifications available that will help boost any interested jobseeker’s resume and provide some suggestions on how to convince the hirer that you have transferable skills from your previous work experience that can help you excel as a DPO. You can check out our courses page here.

Available data protection-related certifications

It is important to determine the route that is most suitable to your circumstances before embarking on the journey to gain theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience from the data protection courses available. 

At DPEX Network, we have provided a roadmap with various routes that individuals who are looking to upskill can take to enhance their data protection competencies:

• • Data Protection / DPO Hands-on course
• • Academic Qualifications Route
• • Professional Certification Route