Skills and Jobs for Every Best Picture Nominee at the Oscars

When you have the world’s best taxonomies for skills and jobs, you see skills and jobs everywhere—even at the movies. 

The Oscars are this Sunday, and the Academy has nominated 10 films for Best Picture. In the speeches introducing the nominations, we’re likely to hear about how the characters remind us of the best parts of ourselves, how they’re inspirations, and that they remind us why we go to the movies. 

But those characters also spend those movies doing things. They have roles to fulfill and tasks to accomplish—in other words, they have skills. And the Lightcast Open Skills Taxonomy is the most detailed in the marketplace, with over 32,000 skills sourced from real-world job postings and refined by in-house experts, while the Lightcast Occupations Taxonomy (LOT) provides four levels of granularity and a global scope to provide a clear picture of the labor market at every level. 

So here’s what we did: for every Best Picture Nominee (in alphabetical order), we took one main character and identified three of the skills they display in the movie. Then, we identified the top occupations for those skills by seeing how many job postings over the past year had requested those skills.

Those occupations are identified using the LOT v7, an updated taxonomy that provides the clearest and most up-to-date picture of global jobs. The new edition will be released throughout all Lightcast products and software soon—stay tuned for more. 

Anora

We start off with a case that’s a little unusual. The plot of Anora is that the son of a Russian oligarch falls in love and marries a girl named Ani, but once his parents find out, they spend most of the movie trying to have the marriage annulled. This is tricky because Ani has one of the oldest jobs in the world, and while Lightcast has data on jobs for escorts, those postings are mainly for security guards and specialized tour guides. But when Ani meets her future husband, and later agrees to marry him, she shows that she possesses the skills of Customer Service, Price Negotiation, and Contemporary Dance. 

Top Occupations for Customer Service:

1. Customer Service Representative (1,264,876 postings)

2. Retail Sales Associate (1,013,373 postings)

3. Retail Store Manager / Supervisor (707,483 postings)

Top Occupations for Price Negotiation:

1. Buyer / Purchasing Agent (29,290 postings)

2. Sales Representative (24,884 postings)

3. Procurement / Sourcing Manager (12,330 postings)

Top Occupations for Contemporary Dance:

1. Dancer (342 postings)

2. Dance Teacher (329 postings)

3. Artist / Illustrator (60 postings)

The Brutalist

The Brutalist is much more straightforward. Adrien Brody plays László Tóth, a Jewish architect from Hungary who emigrates to the US after his successful career was interrupted by World War II. After a short time working at a relative’s furniture store (practicing the skill of Furniture Design), Tóth is commissioned to design an enormous community complex for a mysterious, wealthy client, which he does over a period of several years, requiring the skills of Civil Engineering and Architectural Engineering. 

Top Occupations for Civil Engineering:

1. Civil Engineer (143,979 postings)

2. Construction Manager (62,129 postings)

3. Project Manager (46,747 postings)

Top Occupations for Architectural Engineering:

1. Construction Manager (13,120 postings)

2. Project Manager (12,093 postings)

3. Civil Engineer (11,912 postings)

Top Occupations for Furniture Design:

1. Interior Designer (1,304 postings)

2. Production Worker (447 postings)

3. Carpenter (339 postings)

A Complete Unknown

Timothée Chalamet plays the freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, age 19, on the verge of a career that will redefine American music and reverberate throughout the world. After that—as our skills analysis shows—maybe he can be a teacher. (And he’d be more than welcome: last year, On The Job showed that teachers are sorely needed in today’s labor market.) Dylan’s skills in the movie include Songwriting, Music Performance, and Acoustic Guitar. 

Top Occupations for Songwriting:

1. Music Teacher (303 postings)

2. Music Therapist (87 postings)

3. Musician / Singer (61 postings)

Top Occupations for Music Performance:

1. Music Teacher (1,859 postings)

2. Art / Music Professor (249 postings)

3. Music Director (212 postings)

Top Occupations for Acoustic Guitar:

1. Music Teacher (94 postings)

2. Musician / Singer (78 postings)

3. Religious Leader / Professional (27 postings)

Conclave

The Pope has died, and the College of Cardinals has assembled to elect a new one. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself trapped in a web of intrigue, power, and doubt as he leads the Catholic Church through one of its most secretive and important rituals. His skills include Theology, Ecclesiology (the study of the Christian church), and Transition Management. 

In the top postings for those skills, we see the first occupation to come up for multiple movies: just like the skills of Theology and Ecclesiology show up in postings for “Religious Leader / Professional,” Acoustic Guitar does as well. (However, it’s safe to say that those would be different kinds of religious leaders than those meeting in the conclave.)

Top Occupations for Theology:

1. Religious Leader / Professional (7,655 postings)

2. Philosophy / Religion Professor (1,012 postings)

3. Director of Religious Education (725 postings)

Top Occupations for Ecclesiology:

1. Religious Leader / Professional (55 postings)

2. Philosophy / Religion Professor (19 postings)

3. Director of Religious Education (7 postings)

Top Occupations for Transition Management:

1. Project Manager (726 postings)

2. IT Project / Program Manager (233 postings)

3. Business Change Manager (225 postings)

Dune: Part Two

This is Timothée Chalamet’s second role on this list, and it’s much more difficult to find a counterpart for Paul Atreides in the modern job market than it was for Bob Dylan. After narrowly escaping an attempt on his life, Atreides makes his way through the desert of Arrakis (using Personal Survival Techniques) to the stronghold of the Fremen, where his role as savior is the subject of prophecies and legend. Much of Dune: Part Two focuses on Paul’s Leadership and the Water Resource Management of the Fremen—and also riding giant sandworms, but there’s nothing about the Shai-Hulud in the skill taxonomy. For now.

Top Occupations for Leadership:

1. Retail Store Manager / Supervisor (484,108 postings)

2. Business Development / Sales Manager (270,779 postings)

3. Registered Nurse (270,311 postings)

Top Occupations for Water Resource Management:

1. Water Resource Specialist (1,094 postings)

2. Water / Wastewater Engineer (998 postings)

3. Civil Engineer (715 postings)

Top Occupations for Personal Survival Techniques:

1. Sailor / Deckhand / Marine Oiler (102 postings)

2. Firefighter (41 postings)

3. Ship / Boat Captain (33 postings)

Emilia Pérez 

Emilia Pérez is a Spanish-language film produced by a French company about a transgender drug kingpin; it’s also a musical, and it leads all movies with 13 nominations at this year’s Academy Awards. The main character isn’t even the drug kingpin, but instead the lawyer (Rita Mora Castro, played by Zoe Saldaña) assisting as cartel leader Juan Del Monte becomes Emilia Pérez. Castro’s work would require an understanding of Criminal Law, but also Gender Studies. In many ways, she functions more as a social worker than a lawyer, displaying skills like Advanced Case Management. 

Top Occupations for Criminal Law:

1. Lawyer (6,408 postings)

2. Barrister / Solicitor (1,658 postings)

3. Paralegal / Legal Assistant (1,436 postings)

Top Occupations for Gender Studies:

1. College Professor (351 postings)

2. Program Manager (289 postings)

3. Ethnic / Cultural Studies Professor (263 postings)

Top Occupations for Advanced Case Management:

1. Family / School / General Social Worker (83 postings)

2. Case Worker (34 postings)

3. Paralegal / Legal Assistant (23 postings)

I’m Still Here

I’m Still Here tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, a mother and activist who fights for acknowledgement after her husband was forcibly disappeared during Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1971. While seeking justice for her husband, Paiva also graduated from law school at age 48 and became an expert and leading advocate for indigenous and environmental causes in Brazil. While her skills here include Community Advocacy, Environmentalism, and Civic Engagement, the Lightcast skills taxonomy also features the Convention Agreement in 1992, a United Nations resolution passed in Rio de Janeiro, which would have been closely linked to Paiva’s work during that time (including as a consultant for the UN). The green economy has only grown since then—expanding from the dedicated work of a select few to an enormous industry encompassing a wide range of roles.

Top Occupations for Community Advocacy:

1. Registered Nurse (230 postings)

2. Healthcare Administrator (8 postings)

3. Community Health Worker (8 postings)

Top Occupations for Environmentalism:

1. Environmental Planner / Scientist (2,798 postings)

2. Safety Manager (1,825 postings)

3. Safety Specialist / Coordinator (1,363 postings)

Top Occupations for Civic Engagement:

1. Communications / Public Relations Manager (615 postings)

2. Program Manager (609 postings)

3. Higher Education Administrator (471 postings)

Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys is a special case. Based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, the movie is set at a fictionalized version of the Dozier School for Boys in northern Florida, and examines the tragic experiences of those sent there. Over the course of several decades, Dozier’s leadership was repeatedly accused of many kinds of abuse against the boys sent there, especially Black students. Ultimately, the school closed in 2011 and a forensic investigation began, which revealed dozens of graves on school grounds. This ongoing investigative work requires skills including Forensic Anthropology, DNA Collection, and Witness Interviews. This is another example of different skills being required in the same jobs—we see “Lawyer” come up for these skills, just as we saw for Emilia Perez. 

Top Occupations for Forensic Anthropology:

1. College Professor (Other) (68 postings)

2. Anthropology / Archaeology Professor (55 postings)

3. Social Science Researcher (37 postings)

Top Occupations for DNA Collection:

1. Probation Officer / Correctional Treatment Specialist (79 postings)

2. Phlebotomist (35 postings)

3. Interviewer (33 postings)

Top Occupations for Witness Interviews:

1. Lawyer (1,069 postings)

2. Paralegal / Legal Assistant (929 postings)

3. Claims Specialist / Adjuster / Examiner (333 postings)

The Substance

The Academy has a reputation for dismissing horror films, but The Substance may prove to be an exception. When Elisabeth, a Hollywood star (played by Demi Moore), is fired from her long-running TV show because of her age, she takes a black market drug that promises to make her a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of herself. A completely different body emerges from hers, and the new younger body (Margaret Qualley) names herself Sue and takes Elisabeth’s place onscreen, ultimately being given a place in the TV network’s New Year’s Eve special.  While the Lightcast skills taxonomy has no entry for “The Substance” specifically, it does have an entry for Cosmetics, as well as Acting and Live Broadcast. 

Top Occupations for Cosmetics:

1. Retail Sales Associate (28,716 postings)

2. Sales Representative (25,097 postings)

3. Retail Store Manager / Supervisor (11,637 postings)

Top Occupations for Acting:

1. Actor / Entertainer (667 postings)

2. Sales Representative (150 postings)

3. Travel / Tour Guide (100 postings)

Top Occupations for Live Broadcast:

1. Producer (718 postings)

2. Host / Hostess (485 postings)

3. Broadcast Technician (378 postings)

Wicked 

Last but not least, Wicked is one of the most popular movies among this year’s nominees. Because it so prominently features two main characters—Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, and Elphaba, played by Cynthia Ervio—we’ll feature two skills and jobs for each of them, instead of three for just one. Glinda is introduced as one of the most well-known and beloved figures in Oz, and as we see her at school, it’s clear she knows how to work a room. She’s excellent at Public Speaking and Social Skills. 

Top Occupations for Public Speaking:

1. Communications / Public Relations Manager (11,570 postings)

2. Sales Representative (6,429 postings)

3. Business Development / Sales Manager (5,882 postings)

Top Occupations for Social Skills:

1. Teacher Assistant (13,950 postings)

2. Sales Representative (13,947 postings)

3. Behavior Analyst (9,058 postings)

Elphaba has none of those gifts, but on the other hand she’s very sweet when caring for her sister Nessarose, who’s in a wheelchair, and ultimately Elphaba also defies gravity authority she sees as unjust. Her skills that we’ll look at are Critical Thinking and Caring for the Disabled.

Top Occupations for Critical Thinking:

1. Registered Nurse (230,732 postings)

2. Software Developer / Engineer (37,417 postings)

3. Customer Service Representative (28,927 postings)

Top Occupations for Working with the Disabled:

1. Special Education Teacher (419 postings)

2. Family / School / General Social Worker (208 postings)

3. Office / Administrative Assistant (171 postings)

Thanks for reading On The Job. Be sure to catch up on our past issues and subscribe to On The Job here, and you can also explore our Skills hub—including free tools and resources—right here. We'll see you next time.