Whether it’s coming from central governments, career advisors, educators or industry professionals, the message for the past decade has been a simple one: the world of work is in flux.
With more and more digital technology enabling automation, and jobs shifting into the service sector, the jobs that used to provide for previous generations are becoming obsolete, and new, revolutionary jobs are taking their place. In this article, you’ll learn about the jobs of the future, and the skills you’ll need to earn a position in some of the high-flying industries that are only now taking off.
Lifelong Education
While many people once trained in a discipline for their formative years, and then built a career in that discipline, the modern world certainly seems to demand that we spend more time over the course of our lives learning, training and getting to grips with new computer programs, software protocols, and emerging technologies. This is an exciting time for learning: it’s easier than ever to onboard new skills thanks to the powers of the internet. You can:
- Head to networking sessions in your area to learn from experts
- Study an online course or degree from your laptop
- Head to YouTube to find tutorial and explainer videos to suit you
- Take night classes in the discipline that you’re interested in learning
- Learn on the job with employee training sessions
- Use libraries and other educational resources to onboard new skills and knowledge
With so much at your disposal, it’s important that you take advantage of the new world of education and learning in order to build a career – or multiple careers – in the most advanced sectors in tomorrow’s economy.
Rising Jobs
Now it’s time to focus on the types of jobs that are likely to grow in significance in the coming decade. With manual labour and repetitive jobs being quickly automated not only by machines, but by algorithms and complex pieces of software, it’s likely that many of the jobs that could once be performed by a human could, in the future, be better done by a robot. So you need to look at those jobs and skills that are decidedly human, like:
- Abstract and creative problem-solving
- People, human and communication skills
- Artistic and creative skills
- Skills that help you build new software suites
- The ability to plan strategies
- Sales, marketing and customer service excellence
The rise of automation doesn’t mean that we’ll all be out of a job. In fact, recent studies are showing that consumers still much prefer the human touch, and a human advisor or helper, to a robotic or automated one. There’s still a place for humans in the workforce of the future – we just have to find that place.
Tech-Based Roles
As technology integrates with more and more areas of our lives, and the infrastructure that supports that growth becomes ever-more exciting and well-developed, it’s of course likely that many of the jobs of the future will revolve around technology. Many of these roles will require you to head back to college or university, by taking, for instance, a cyber security online degree in order to build up the skills you need to protect computers and businesses from online harms.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of other tech-based jobs that will certainly be thriving and well-paid in the future, including:
- Digital and graphic design and animation
- Software coding and creation
- IT maintenance
- Website developing
- Online policing and regulation
- Biotechnology and medicine
With plenty of other opportunities in the world of technology, this is the place for you to train up, learn the skills that are most important in the world, and try to make a difference to your career.
Maintaining an Interest
While educational courses and retraining programs may become part of your lifestyle as you grow older, it’s not the only way to stay abreast of the cutting edge and aware of the breakthroughs in the world of technology. For many people, simply remaining aware of the world of technology, and how it’s impacting upon our lives, is enough. As such, you may simply wish to read up on the news, from sources such as:
- Technology journalism websites
- Supplements in newspapers that deal with technology
- Journals and specialist publications about tech
- Friends and experts in your network who know about tech
- Television shows that deal with tech tales
With this finger-on-the-pulse knowledge of the landscape around technology, you’ll be best-placed to understand the future developments in a growing and increasingly complex field.
Prepare yourself for the exciting future of work with the tips help within this article – designed to help you build a successful future career.
