Predictions are that we are moving into a world where there will be:
- No more farmers
- No more factory workers
- No more drivers
- No more office workers
- No more nurses
According to Oregonlive ‘In the United States, half of the 7.5 million jobs lost during the Great Recession paid middle-class wages, ranging from $38,000 to $68,000. But only 2 percent of the 3.5 million jobs gained since the recession ended in June 2009 are midpay. Nearly 70 percent are low-paying jobs. 29 percent pay well.
In the 17 European countries that use the euro as their currency, the numbers are even worse. Almost 4.3 million low-pay jobs have been gained since mid-2009, but the loss of midpay jobs has never stopped. A total of 7.6 million disappeared from January 2008.’
The London Telegraph warns that 10 million jobs are at risk in the UK. They predict that it will be the low paid, repetitive jobs that will vanish, in particular jobs that pay less than £30,000 a year.
Scared? I am.
The big question is – who will buy the ‘stuff’ that organisations produce if virtually half the world’s population is out of work?
And then I heard the suggestion that we could all be paid NOT to work, so then at least we would be able to afford to buy ‘stuff’.
I think we’ve lost the plot!
So here is some hope, I found these 10 crazy jobs of the future, at first I thought they were laughable and possibly even tongue in cheek suggestions, but then I realised they are NOT so silly after all and I’m ready to apply for one or even two of them:
- Nostalgists – interior designers for the elderly rich so they can decorate their home around their favourite decade
- Telesurgeon – already happening
- Rewilder – these people will help undo the damage humans have caused to the countryside. People interested in wildlife management, agriculture and environmental sciences will be great for this job. (I’m applying)
- Garbage designer – These designers will make careers out of upcycling – finding ways to turn trash into new items (my second choice new career)
- Simplicity expert – these people will show businesses how to condense 3 days of work into half an hour (I already do this).
- Healthcare navigator – people who can help navigate the complexities of paperwork in the health system, provide support for families and help people cope with the stress of illness.
- End of life therapist. I really did think this was a joke, but if you think about it, helping people and families cope with the death of a loved one is a much needed skill. I’d extrapolate this into helping people who want to end their own lives – a huge ethical conversation that is raging around the world.
- Gamification designer – helping people of all ages learn new skills – particularly for the 50% of the population whose skills are now obsolete!!
- Robot counsellor – really? Not quite what I initially thought – more to help families choose the right technology for their needs (age, size of family etc)
- Media remixer –people who can bring together all forms of audio, video, images for weddings or other family/business events
So all is not lost. I’ve always been of the belief that if you have a hobby then you have the start of a business.
And some final reading for the over 50s who could be facing the pink slip:
Don’t buy into the doom and gloom – a ‘job’ was only ever ‘Just-Over-Broke anyway!
Ann Andrews CSP
Author: Lessons in leadership: 50 ways to avoid falling into the ‘Trump’ trap