I recently attended a school careers fair and was struck by the anxious tone of the questions posed by those who approached my stall. To hear that they were unsure what path to take was no surprise, but these were yrs 11 & 12, the vast majority of whom admitted they’d be going to Uni so the professional workplace is still a few years over the horizon. Here’s what they seemed pleased to hear:
Back in 2017, Huffpost published an article with the good news for worried students that 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 hadn’t yet been created. The projected list comprised job titles such as Quantum Programmer, Rocket Design Architect, Remote Drone Drivers, Blockchain Crypto Specialists, Cultured Meat Farmers, Autonomous Vehicle Drivers and Hazardous Waste Engineers etc etc. They were guessing, but of course in 2024 all of these are now a proper thing.
From here, there’ll be a similar slide to show that there’s nothing to suggest the pace of change has slowed and further out we’ll have AI Psychologists, Extinct Species Revivalists, Data Detectives and Metaverse Architects…You could start to make it up because that’s all you can do, and there isn’t a career advisor out there who will know the best route to take. So, there’s nothing to worry about at this point.
It’s not all about Tech either, and those worried about the disruptive inroads made by AI to traditional roles can take comfort from the fact that there remain numerous ways for humans to make their mark. Original thinking, creativity and design remain sought-after qualities, and who would have guessed at the value from instinctive human endeavour sparked by the pandemic with weekly applause for key workers, fund-raising, neighbourhood action groups, remote concerts and intranational Govt collaboration. After all, and as they say, “be Human, it’s what we’re best at”.
Perhaps all yrs 11/12 would take heart from the same advice:
Don’t worry about what you want to be yet. Focus on what you already are because the qualities in demand by all employers are remarkably similar. Keep your options open. You might end up doing something that doesn’t yet have a job title. Meanwhile, focus on those exams because even though they might be asking the wrong questions they do matter. If only for a bit.