It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change – Charles Darwin

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new – Socrates

If you are a student, you have read the first statement, by Darwin before your 10th standard. And it is about the survival of the species. Even in your own life, the statement persists. In fact, it is the very elixir of life. The second statement is regarding the values in your life. There are two ways to lead life. One is to follow the methods and ways given by our ancestors. It is easy to follow and you will lead a beautiful life. And the second is tough, but it will be a challenge. You discover a new tool or method that can bring happiness to the life of your fellow human beings. You will stay content for your full life.

All said and done, now let us look at the jobs of the future for you, fellow students. Do you have a kid brother or sister (angel) before five years? Then, be rest assured, he or she is going to work in a job which is not existent at present. YES, that has become the case for half a century. All the jobs used to be done manually in record books, before the computers came into existence. Parents and wives who had sons and husbands in foreign countries used to wait for letters and telephone calls before the email and internet came. In India, having a telephone was considered as a mark of status. The mobiles came and changed the very era of communication. People used to shop only on weekends at brick and mortar stores. The online e-commerce is growing in billions every year.

Jobs of the Future

The world of technology is moving at a fast pace. Automation, artificial intelligence and cloud computing are becoming the order of the day. It is estimated, that in 2025 nearly 20 million low-level jobs will be lost to automation. Is that a negative factor? Yes and No! In fact, for the optimistic people automation has come as a relief to get rid of the manual handling jobs and focus on innovation and knowledge creation. Also, pollution has become rampant and future jobs may include new careers regarding this aspect.

So, in a similar situation, how can you prepare for the future? Try to develop the following skills –

1. High IQ Level & Solving of Complex Problems

In the future, not after fifty years, but in a decade, you are going to settle for jobs that are non-existent at present. And, these jobs will be focused mainly on problems faced by people at that time. And, science has not yet come with a tool to predict the exact problems in the future. So, you need to develop the mental flexibility for your brain. In other words, think out of the box. If you have a problem, find solutions to the challenge by seeing the big picture. Honestly, this skill does not come naturally. You will have to practise, practise and practise. For starters, take the free IQ exams.

2. Critical Thinking:

Yes, technology can do many complex jobs. The supercomputer can even defeat Gary Kasparov in chess. But trust me, the thinking part is only in the initial stage. So, develop your skills with respect to critical thinking. You should be on the path of learning always. Then you can analyse the right points for solving a complex problem by logic/reasoning.

3. Creativity:

Are you in the 30s and worried about the robots taking over your job? You need not worry if being a creative person. The robots have been programmed to calculate/diagnose problems and not create copywriting or creative quality content.

4. People Skills

A robot cannot give happiness to you just by saying “Good Morning” when, in fact, you had a bad fight with a family member. Ultimately, it is humans who are going to program the robots. There is a famous statement – The success in your career is determined by the relationships with your colleagues and not only on your talent and knowledge. So, learn motivational books by Brian Tracy, Dale Carnegie, Management books on how to deal with people, emotions, and the art of listening. If

you know how the human psychology works, you can easily gain success in any sector, field.

5. STEM:

There are jobs related to the science, technology, engineering as well maths sector, and they will retain their importance. The only factor, the jobs will be modified and of a superior nature. So make yourself ready with new skills and you will build an excellent future. Hey! Do not forget the coding and learning to code part.

6. SMAC:

Do the alphabets look new to you? But you have not heard of the SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud), did you? Now start to learn. Buy a notebook. Start making notes in accordance with your favourite field. You will stand apart when going for interviews with your multitude of skills.

7. Interdisciplinary Knowledge:

There was a world, before fifty decades ago. And there will be a world ten years in the future. In the past world, it was sufficient if you had known only about your field. In the present, it is mandatory that you have to adapt as per the developments in technology. Let us imagine, you are a mechanical engineer. You are an expert. Do you think of going to the bank and withdraw cash? Or do you prefer online transfer? This is just an example. So, instead of becoming an expert in only your favourite field, also keep an eye on other developments.

At last, Huff, Puff and Yuff! We have descended on the future jobs. But believe me, not a word which you have read before is untrue. It will be true for your future. Have trust.

1. Trash Engineer

No, please do not cover your nose. The job does not require you to put gloves and pick garbage. It is much more complicated and the work involves your brain and not brawn (did you remember Braun Strowman of WWE?). You may cough, but believe me, changing of trash materials and recycling of unwanted materials is going to play a major part in human lives. Annually, as humans, you produce more than a billion pounds of trash. In the future, a lot of subjects will have changes in their syllabus and will include recycling chapters. Prominent among them will be subjects such as chemical engineering and civil engineering. Who knows? There may be a separate subject called as Trash Engineering.

2. Alternative Energy Consultant

Agreed, cars and vehicles have become more in numbers. But do we have fossil resources for the next generation? You bet. So, what next? Alternative sources of energy. You have read about solar, hydroelectric and wind energy. It is left to you to decide the right one for your company and the project. Some of the engineering majors which may include new chapters are chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering etc. A new branch may also come up alternative energy engineering.

3. Forecaster of Earthquakes

Does the job title bring a smile on your face? Yes! But it will be happy to the people who stay in earthquake-prone regions such as Japan etc. Don’t you think you stand at the same place your grandfather stood when he was your age when hearing about the weather forecasters job?

The subject majors which you can study for this job is Geophysics, geoscience and mathematics.

4. Medical Mentor

Now this job is a different one, and it will involve interaction with patients. The world is on a life-enhancing spree, and you can get the best medical facilities for surgery and treatment. But after treatment? That is when this job comes into the picture.

You are responsible for the health of a number of patients. You have to take care of their appointment and every medical procedure to the point. Now, think of the multi-task roles you have to perform. You have to act as a therapist, nutritionist and all in all. The subjects you may have to study is biology, dietetics, psychology and nutrition.

5. Organ/Body Part Creator

If you are in a developing country, you have heard the word many times. Organ Black Market. The world may have become a hub for technology, in which satellites are sent to the Moon, Mars and Jupiter. But, it is a fact that there is a section of the public who sells their organs to gain money. The entire trade is illegal, but it exists, will exist. So, this job will bring a change to this system. How? Do you know of the long line of people on medical lists? They pray that their number should be the next to go for surgery. They may need a new kidney, eye donation or even heart. When they do not get the required organs by fair means, then always there is the illegal organ market.

Now, your job will be to create the organ as well the required body parts from materials such as stem cells. The subjects you may have to study for this job are biomedical engineering, genetics and biology.

 6. Memory Surgeon

There are many of us who never succeed or progress in life. It is, because of our past unhealthy memories. Unhealthy memories lead to destructive behaviour. Now, how about a job which will give only pleasant memories? You may have to study biology and neurobiology.

7. Personality Person

There was a time when having a mobile was considered a luxury. Now every individual has a mobile. In the future, with the fast era of life, you need a person who can maintain your social media profiles in the near decade. So, companies may spring up, which allows for a certain package to handle social media accounts of others. You may have to do courses in Communication and Mass Media, Visual Communication and an advanced course in Digital Marketing.

8. Personal Internet of Things (IoT)

Now, this is a recent job. Your father used to call a plumber or electrician in requirement. In the future, when smart fridges and smart coffee makers are the norms of the day, what do you expect? They can get hacked (from who – children) and there will be repairs. Behold! You will have a tight suit handyman professional who comes to your house with a laptop to fix the job. You may have to study courses such as Computer Science, Computer engineering and Household appliances.

9. Design of Household Electronic Appliances

In this era of fast-paced life, technology has brought about a sizable change. Your grandmother used to wash clothes daily. Now your mother reaches for the washing machine. Your grand aunt used to clean dishes. Her daughter-in-law prefers the dishwasher. As time progresses, home appliance companies all over the globe are searching for versions which can help the public save time.

Now shall we take a case study?

Always remember, you may have a passion for a field. But if you have a family business, take the interest. Select a course by which you can develop your family business. The reason, your ancestors have already invested their life. You have got loyal customers and a name. The public identifies the brand and the shop. You just have to change the business according to the changes in technology to become a success. Let us imagine, your father and grandfather have a roaring washing machine repair business. They have two offices. The first office looks at washing machine repair in Hyderabad. The second office is related to the washing machine service center in Bangalore. In fact, the offices service the international models which have completed the warranty. You can develop this idea further. You can implement online e-commerce to make it more successful.

Conclusion

Please note, that there is no need to panic for automation or artificial intelligence. If you are talented and have a passion for learning, you can excel in any field. And, the most important part, do not limit yourself to the set of future jobs explained above. There are more jobs in the pipeline. Wait for our next article, to hit the internet.