JOBS OF THE FUTURE

Throughout history, some jobs have disappeared and new jobs have taken their place. Some jobs such as milkmen and paperboys are currently under threat as ‘progress’ disfavours their expertise. Other professions such as web designers, professional athletes, media consultants, biotechnologists were unknown years ago. There are still unheard job roles in the fields of information technology, alternative energy and global commerce. So, it is important to know which jobs will be the top ones because you could make your career progression much easier in the future.

In the field of medicine, there will be a need for more people to work because of the increasing population worldwide, and more importantly, the growth in the percentage of the elderly due to longer life spans. So, healthcare professionals will both help the elderly and research illnesses such as dementia. There will be a demand for more care workers both working in homes for the elderly and visiting them in their own homes. Ultimately, there will be a great increase in robotic help. Already we have robotic vacuum cleaners, but eventually much more sophisticated robots will become common which can provide assistance with a range of daily tasks and also provide a form of "company" for the lonely. Architects may be required to develop "smart" houses for old people.

With the developments in information technologies and the Internet, IT security consultants will be in increasing demand. It is clear that more cyber protection will be needed because the internet has become the biggest part of our daily life. We share personal information, credit card numbers, check-ins on the web and someone needs to protect this information to keep the Internet safe. There may also be more on-line policing roles, for example to fight illegal downloads. With the increase of internet usage and people hacking into websites, Internet security roles and jobs will be more as the government and organisations want to increase their security in the future.

Lastly, with growing global warming, there will be a need for more renewable sources of energy, so there will be jobs in designing and maintaining wind farms, wave power and tidal energy sources. Also, as natural resources run out, we will need to move to more sustainable life styles. So, sustainability consultants will be in need for better recycling and waste management. Hydrologists and geologists may be required in larger numbers to investigate new water supplies as water supplies become more scarce.