When we think and write about the future – most of the employment job titles are based on tech companies, programming, and STEM. But, in the real world, we’ll need to develop jobs that are not sexy.
We need workers who will fix our digital worlds when something goes wrong – how do I fix my drone or robot or how do I learn how to use these darn things? That’s the real world we live in every day.
We know from studying history employment evolves out of need. Back when individuals were driving horse-drawn carriages, they never dreamed of being an automobile mechanic, telephone operator, and electrician. The jobs created during the exponential growth that occurred between 1880’s and 1920’s was incomprehensible.
To prepare for the immediate future, we need to develop jobs to manage and repair our technologies. Our goals should focus on educating students and professionals now, not later. We need to educate and train individuals because the need exists in the market, we just don’t think about it, yet.
One action is to create different employment pathways for students and adults. For example, offer vocational training and apprenticeships during high school and after graduation. Jeff Selingo is a thought leader and has written multiple books on this topic. Great resource if you have high schoolers at home.
Many of the job titles I created, listed below, exist today. I believe these industries will continue to change and disrupt B2B, consumer, and healthcare markets.
List of New Employment Opportunities
Drones
Drone mechanic
Drone repair specialist
Drone parts supplier
Drone mechanic shop and on-site service
Drone developer
Drone programmer
Drone software manager
Drone educator
Drone manager
Drone flight coordinator
Drone fleet management for agriculture and corporate uses
Drone recycling
Robotics
As a small business owner, where would you take CP3O and R2D2 to get repaired?
Robots mechanic
Robots repair specialist
Robots parts supplier
Robots mechanic shop and on-site service
Consumer robots developer
Robot programmer for consumer and healthcare
Robot software manager for B2B, consumer, and healthcare
Robots educator for B2B, consumer, and healthcare
Robots manager – all three segments
Robot customization – pick your style and color. (Think mass customization of personalized robots)
Robot fleet management for agriculture and corporate uses
Robot recycling
Using drones and robots as a template, these types of jobs could be adapted for virtual reality, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things.
Think – who’s going to fix your Nest or a similar application when it stops talking to your iPhone?
We have professionals working in this field. However, remember this area will continue to expand as more houses and apartments are built and incorporate the IoT.
Potential New Practice Areas – Legal, Finance, and Accounting
Legal – attorneys who focus on determining the status of robots and drones as the digital economy evolves.
Will robots and similar technologies be considered assets or individuals? Will advanced robots with the capability to care for a human, have a different asset value?
During a merger will companies fight over advanced AI robots similar to a divorce – if so, how we established a precedent?
How will accounting and finance determining a value for these new technologies change the legal, finance, and accounting industries? Or will these industries be automated to the point where the software program determines it’s own value?
We’re at the beginning of another big leap. To plan for the future and help our children we need to develop means for teaching these skills now.