Employment of the Future

As technology continues to progress and changes in human knowledge and understanding occur, tasks that were once done by people will become automated, or altogether obsolete. Problems that didn't exist in the past will require educated experts to tackle them in the future. Knowledge fields that were once niche or special interest will become more mainstream. All over, the jobs landscape of the future may potentially be unrecognisable to us.

Who truly knows what the future has in store for mankind? Nobody. But that doesn't mean we can't make our best educated guess. The following is a list of jobs that many experts agree will likely exist in the not-so-distant future.

Robotics Technician
As the level of automation in the world increases so too must the number of robots performing such automation. And as the number of robots in the world rises so too does the number of human technicians who must maintain, repair, build and tend to these robots. This is of course a job that already exists, but expect it to increase dramatically over the next few decades.

Dentists
Everyone knows sugar is bad for our teeth but everyone keeps eating it anyway. Thankfully, dentists can help us to an extent that mere brushing and mouth-washing can't. Dentists are not increasing in number at the same rate as the rest of the population. Meaning that demand is beginning to outpace supply. Meaning that logically the number of dentist jobs will increase in the future.

Cyber Security Experts
Around the world computer hacking has been on the increase. High profile hacking targets such as Sony, PayPal, Citigroup, the IMF and others have all suffered from various levels of hacking breaches, ranging from serious to very serious. The effects of these attacks include vandalised webpages, leaked passwords and emails, and whole websites being brought offline. It is estimated that, in the US alone, at present between 20000 and 30000 cyber security specialists are required to meet the cyber security demands of the government and large corporations. As the level of hacking increases so too must the number of security experts who fight such crime.

Welders (especially underwater welders)
High paying blue collar jobs will be on the increase as the number of people available to fill such positions decreases. One such occupation that will bring in the dough is welding, and especially underwater welding. There has even been one oil company willing to offer $150 000 to underwater welders.

Massage Therapists
In an uncertain future stress will be see an increase. Whether you're in an office job or struggling to get by some other way you'll know how true this is. Massage therapists, an already growing profession, will increase even further still to serve the needs of all the stressed individuals.

Futuristic jobs:

Cloud Computing Engineers
Cloud computing is all over the web. It is an unusually complex thing to describe. In layman's terms cloud computing is anywhere you can store data on the internet and then access it from any other internet port. Examples include gmail, Facebook, Flickr, Wordpress and many others. Engineers who are knowledgeable in cloud computing will be needed in the future to make cloud computing more effective and efficient.

Body Part Makers
Losing a limb can be a traumatic experience. However, in the future we may be able to restore any lost limbs as casually as taking pill medicine. Body part makers will be needed in the future to regenerate and restore any lost limbs. Expect this to have military and sport applications especially.

GM Farmers
Public opinion may not at present be in favour of genetically modified foods, but in the future as food shortages occur more frequently, and the desire for more nutritious food increases GM farmers will become more sought after. Their task will be to simply grow genetically modified food - that may possibly include genetically modified livestock.

Vertical farmers
In the future, as the available farmland becomes less and less abundant people will start building upwards instead of outwards. Farmers will be needed who specialise in growing crops and livestock on multiple floors of a stadium-like building. This could allow farming to take place in urban areas.

Virtual Lawyers
Imagine having access to some of the best lawyers in the world, no matter where in the world you are. Imagine also that these lawyers, as busy as they are, are still able to service you with plenty of time for their other clients. If you did imagine any of that then you imagined virtual lawyers. These skilled lawyers would provide you with legal service over the internet - virtually, in other words. There are already a number of other virtual occupations in existence, such as virtual assistants. Expect virtual lawyers to become a thing sooner rather than later.

Sustainability Officers
Sustainability officers will help keep a company green. They will be needed to navigate the world of environmental and sustainability regulation and to advise on green policies. Demand for people with sustainability-related skills will increase dramatically over the next few years.