#FutureOfJobs: The Road Ahead
What is the future of jobs?
A new wave of job opportunities are seizing the market. Advent of Fourth Industrial Revolution is impacting this significant shift in the employment landscape. We are at a crucial junction, witnessing drastic changes where, jobs generating employment at present, will lose its relevance 5 years down the line.
We can expect, job creation to job displacement, and from heightened labour productivity to widening skills gaps to be the possible outcomes of this transition.
Although the change is in rapid motion, but majority of companies are not acknowledging the gravity of the situation. Possible loss of employment due to redundancy of various job profiles, widespread unemployment and dearth of skilled workforce are just a handful of various casualties, in case we ignore to address this issue at priority basis.
One of many factors undergoing transition is, rising aspirations of women and their growing economic power.
Women, are literally, the next big thing!
The World Economic Forum summary jobs report 2016, lays emphasis on companies’ crucial role to initiate preparation for the transition, which might strike at any moment. Upskilling existing workforce, managing skills disruption as an urgent concern, capitalizing on transformational trends, collaborating with freelancers and independent professionals through digital talent platforms are the key strategies to work with.
Targeting untapped pool of female talent is one of the variables the companies have to work on.
An interesting FB post, held an intriguing chat, about the possibilities of various new jobs that might figure in our list, say a few years down the line.
Some of the interesting job suggestions were as follows:-
Paid Homemakers
Why not? Come to think of it, the most arduous, complex and taxing job is to look after your family. To not only be a rock solid support but organize and manage a family unit which depends on you, so that their life functions smoothly.
It’s a safe way out, to conclude that, no amount of money can repay the hard work, love and care, and dedication put in by our mothers/sisters/daughters/ daughters-in-law too, in “keeping a house” running.
But that’s just another excuse to brush aside the matter of homemakers and putting down their market worth.
A mechanism should be put in place to quantify and calculate the value of work homemakers do. This will provide more socially empowered identities to women in societies.
Micro Entrepreneurship
SHEROES founder and CEO, Sairee Chahal says, that micro entrepreneurship is the way forward. Reason being, it allows individuals to create their own jobs. You don’t have to allocate lump sum money to jumpstart your business. Micro-enterprise enables you to tap your skills, commodities and expand your professional base and network.
Cuddlers/Healers/ Carers
WEF reports that robotics, automation and tech disruption is going to significantly impact the job scenario. Developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, nanotechnology, 3D printing and genetics and biotechnology are all building on and amplifying one another.
In view of such technological advancement, quite possibly, carers, healers or cuddlers, will enjoy a substantial grip in the job market. Loss of intimacy in our fast paced lives is a reality, staring at our faces now. Eyes glued to the cell phone screen is a modern day phenomena. With the advancement of technology, this is only going to escalate and eventually our virtual reality is going to be our reality.
Most possibly, carers, healers or cuddlers, will engage in providing us, with the much needed emotional stability and intimacy.
Social media fatigue counsellors
I know a friend who keeps deactivating her FB account, as she is tired of “posting updates.” Social media fatigue syndrome is an overwhelming feeling of being on social media platforms 24/7. The pressure to understand, establish and maintain social media presence. Social media is our new cultural interface, where we share each and every moment, establishing a connect in the virtual world. Unplugging from it, is out of question as most firms and entrepreneurs are tapping the huge base of audience found here. It’s a huge business advantage. Therefore, services of social media fatigue counsellors are something we’ll be availing in the coming days. To combat chronic fatigue, and a sense of disillusionment.
Data privacy experts
The worldwide web has connected world in a seamless fashion. But, it has also opened a Pandora’s box, in terms of privacy violations. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, are paying the price of “leaking” information of an administration’s prying into people’s lives. All this is done under the garb of, the greater good of the country. It’s easy to connect with anyone now, thanks to the digital advancement, but violation of individual's privacy is also a huge concern. Thus, data privacy experts will help in creating private firewalls, to protect their data from being manipulated.
A pronounced shift in employment opportunities is a dynamic reality. The sooner we realise this, and put our strategies in place, the better we would be able to weather the rapid transition in market.
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11 Aug 2016
