‘Hey Siri, please don’t let your friends take my job in the future!’
We live in a world of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, fully automated cars, space tourism and exponential population growth. We also now have artificial intelligence in almost every area of our lives, all the way from our homes and transportation systems to our workplaces. Robots now run the Ocado warehouse, while Amazon has increased its robotic army to 45 000! But before you allow the iRobot-esque-machines-are-taking-over hysteria to consume you, consider this: the technological generation is creating as many jobs as it’s replacing.
Here are four jobs of the future we think you should get ready to grab (with your very human hands):
Trash engineer
This may be the strangest one on the list, but it’s totally necessary (trust us)! Humans produce a billion kilos of trash annually, and what do we do with it? Throw it into a landfill that is in no way good for our beautiful planet.
In comes future-you; a world-renowned trash engineer who’s solving the earth’s waste problems one Chappies wrapper at a time. You could turn our rubbish into clean fuel or figure out a way to make it strong enough to construct buildings with. The possibilities are endless!
Skills you need: Strong STEM skills, critical thinking and mental elasticity.
Best undergraduate degrees: Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Trash Engineering.
Alternative energy consultant
People cannot survive on fossil fuel forever (regardless of what Trump says), so alternative energy sources are the only hope.
That’s where future-you can come in handy! You could be an expert in all things energy and go from city to city assessing the best sustainable energy source for each place. You’ll be in high demand very soon.
Skills you need: Strong STEM background, mental elasticity and people skills.
Best undergraduate degrees: Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Renewable Energy Engineering, Environmental Studies, Physics and Mechanical Engineering.
Personal productivity person
To compete with the up-and-coming automated workforce people are going to have to become as efficient as possible. But doing so is easier said than done! Think about all those distractions that stop you from unlocking your full potential: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, the 24-hour news cycle …
In comes future-you! Your job will consist of analysing people's daily lives and teaching them to silence their daily distractions so they can work harder and smarter.
Skills you need: Critical thinking, creativity, people skills, mental elasticity, SMAC skills and interdisciplinary skills.
Best undergraduate degrees: Communication and media, Physiology and Sociology
The future of work awaits, fam – don’t be late!
