Special Report on Jobs
ne of the biggest opportunities the future has to offer is to be the person who
helps other people cope with it.
When THE FUTURIST asked several workplace experts to speculate on
tomorrow's job titles, they came up with a wide range of occupations, many of which were
variations on coaching, managing, consulting, and other help-oriented activities.
For instance, automotive repair technicians will not only fix your car,
but also hold workshops for customers, suggests John A. Challenger.
Corporations will need new managers with counseling skills to help employees deal with
their life issues, such as education, retirement, and health care. (See "Working in
the Future: How Today's Trends Are Shaping Tomorrow's Jobs.")
These help-oriented professions are an outgrowth of a larger trend
toward automation that is creating new needs for "hyper-human" skills, according
to Richard W. Samson. As more and more of our traditional jobs get taken
over by computers, robots, and other new technologies, it will be those skills that cannot
be "off-peopled" that will be most valuable in the future: discovery,
creativity, implementation, influence, and physical action.
Jobs that may incorporate these skills do not necessarily exist--they
will be invented--or reinvented from today's jobs by tomorrow's workforce. For example, as
nurses rely more on computers to manage the paperwork aspect of their jobs, they will
develop their hyper-human skills, such as detecting symptoms or mentoring their patients
to develop healthier lifestyles. (See "Hyperjobs: The New Higher-Level Work and How
to Grow Into It.")
Other new opportunities will emerge that surf the waves of change, and
success will come to those who prepare for change by being flexible and well rounded in
their education and training, according to Joyce Gioia and Roger
Herman. And be prepared to look for exciting jobs in unusual places--underwater,
in the jungle, or out in space. (See "Career Planning for the 21st Century.")
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