Accurately predicting which jobs will be in demand in the future has never been easy. Many factors can impact job stability and growth, including financial, political, technological and climate-related changes. Most recently artificial intelligence (AI) is said to potentially influence almost all occupations. More than ever, planning for a future work life is challenging as change comes rapidly.
Who might know?
In looking for information on what fields to study to future-proof your career, one place to start may be to ask AI and to look at reputable websites. Government websites, for example, can show you both current areas of employment and what they believe will be in demand in five years. People working in the field you are considering would have a sense of the direction the field is going in and a few information interviews with them could be immensely helpful. If you need help finding this information and with setting up information interviews, your school’s career centre can guide you. Asking these questions at your school’s information sessions or from your current professors will lend another perspective.
Smart strategies
Look at those occupations that have been cited as the most promising for future growth or stability. However, be mindful that, in the past, the rush towards those have often produced an oversupply or the promising opportunities failed to emerge. This has been true for teachers, lawyers, some branches of engineering and even nursing careers. The predicted great retirement of university professors never happened, leaving many new PhD graduates disappointed. Trying to gauge future work opportunities is just one aspect of career decisions.
It is important to consider your interests as this will give you more enthusiasm for both studying, work and for incorporating new directions in work as they develop over time. You do not want to close the door prematurely based on current interests alone; many students surprise themselves as they develop an appreciation for studying and working in areas they might not have considered to their liking.
The opposite may also be true as students find the field they chose not suitable for them. If many jobs are taken over by AI and other technologies, leaving people unemployed or underemployed, the knowledge gained and skills learned by studying what is most interesting will provide, at the very least, some personal satisfaction and possibly transferable skills. There are some skills that may prove useful in getting a specific job or getting into a program. These skills will not stop the march of AI or guarantee a position, but they may help in being more competitive. For instance, a middle school teacher who can play the guitar or coach soccer may be an asset. Speaking other languages may not be a job requirement but it may prove useful in the hospitality industry. The social service administrator of a small agency who understands some accounting and marketing can be very helpful in keeping the agency going.
Courses that improve written and public speaking skills can make you a more valued candidate and that will not change in the future. Choosing elective courses could be done with this in mind. Once in a position, it may become clear what training or courses, and specific new skills are needed to stay current. Over the decades, newcomers have had to reinvent themselves when they were unable to work at their past careers. While some had great difficulties, some were able to utilize what they had done to forge a new career path. The pulmonologist became a consultant to a medical technology business, the dentist a salesperson for dental equipment, and the high-level government administrator began a career teaching an economics course to college students. They used their knowledge and skills in related but other ways.
Building a new direction from past skills and education may become even more prevalent as jobs are eliminated and new ones emerge. There may be some choices that may be safer, but they may also be the most competitive. Having alternate plans is always a good idea. Uncertainty is in the future and trying to decide on a career that will also continue to be marketable is a task that will take some research and work, and this may be done several times in a work life.
