Many of us have known the world before the Internet, iPhones, robots, and self-driving cars. 20 years ago there were no smartphones, e-readers, and many other gadgets that we use every day. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were unknown to the world, as well. However, our lives have changed dramatically over the last twenty years. So did the job market. Over the last two decades, the modern economy has changed rapidly. It happened due to significant advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, machine learning, as well as robotics.
Modern technology has made our world convenient. Yet, it has made it more demanding as well. Continuous learning and acquiring new skills is a must if you want to be on top of things in your industry. Modern jobs need new skill sets that weren’t required in the past. In fact, many professions that exist today we had never heard of 10 years ago. Moreover, some studies suggest that 65% of children entering elementary school these days will be working in professions that we know nothing about yet.
Most Popular Jobs 10 Years Ago
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the fastest growing jobs from 2000 to 2010 included:
- computer software engineering and applications,
- network and computer system administrators and specialists, and
- healthcare professions.
These trends have continued into the new decade. As a result, they introduced new occupations that didn’t even exist 15 or 20 years ago. For example, popular careers in 2009 involved:
- healthcare occupations,
- engineers,
- genetic counselors,
- a variety of government positions,
- mediators,
- training specialists, as well as
- service sectors jobs like firefighters, librarians, and hairstylists.
Rapid technological advancements needed employability skills to evolve, as well. It became obvious that workers needed to continually develop. They had to learn skills beyond those required for their job position to prove themselves in the competitive, fast-developing work environment. Workers had to multitask, improve their work method, and successfully solve problems. Otherwise, they couldn’t succeed.
Top Jobs and Work Skills in 2018
As per the BLS, professions that dominate 2018 high-demand jobs list include:
- software developers, and
- healthcare professionals.
Software developers, cloud computing specialists, and app developers are occupations that didn’t exist a decade ago. Yet, they became some critical careers in our modern life due to the development of digital technologies. There are also many new occupations that we couldn’t imagine 10 years ago. Some of them include hi-tech jobs such as:
- social media manager,
- app developer, designer, and manager,
- cloud computing specialist,
- Uber driver,
- virtual assistant, and
- sustainability manager.
So, what are the most important skills that you need to develop if you want to thrive in the modern workplace?
1. Technological Literacy and High-Tech Expertise
The top-notch jobs today require high-tech expertise. Thus, workers who want to work in these fields must continuously update their technological knowledge. They have to attend professional conferences and seminars, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. Modern technology covers so many aspects of our daily lives. Thus, companies need workers who can design, program, and test these technologies.
2. Customer Service Skills
Many modern jobs involve selling a product or service. So, advanced customer service skills are a great asset. Whether you work as a freelance writer, an Uber driver or a millennial generational expert, your interpersonal skills will benefit you in your profession. They include attentiveness, patience, positive language and communication, as well as the knowledge of a product/service.
3. Time Management Skills
Modern jobs are no longer restricted to traditional working spaces or hours. Therefore, many people today have the freedom to control their work schedules and environments.
Yet, this independence can easily become a trap of wasted time with little to none productivity. So, you need to build your time management skills to thrive in your business.
4. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
EQ represents our ability to recognize, understand, and manage our emotions. It is also our ability to understand other people’s signals and react to them appropriately. Self-regulation, self-awareness, motivation, and social skills are skills often found in excelling and highly efficient employees.
Best Jobs for the Future and the Skills You Will Need in 2030
According to some estimates, by 2025, over five million jobs will be lost to automation. Developments in artificial intelligence and robotics will put forward jobs vastly different from those we know today. They will also make significant changes in the fields of medicine, learning, and farming. Some fields like factory production will most likely be fully automated. But, robots won’t completely take away our jobs in the future. Instead, future professions will involve a lot of mental elasticity, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills. According to predictions, some of the new jobs by 2030 may include:
- alternative energy consultant
- trash engineer
- medical mentor
- commercial space pilot
- body part maker
- classroom avatar manager
Here are some skills you will need to develop and keep up if you want to succeed professionally in the future.
1. Critical Thinking
Future jobs will need workers to continually analyze various situations and possible solutions. Because of that, employees will have to make decisions based on logic and reasoning.
2. Mental Elasticity and Creativity
Further technological advancements will most likely bring new challenges. These will require the ability to think out of the box, create original content, and come up with ground-breaking solutions.
3. EQ and Interpersonal Skills
Learning how to manage emotions and people is essential in the workplace today. So, if you want to thrive in the future job market, start working on your EQ and people skills.
4. STEAM and SMAC
As technology develops, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math jobs will grow. Thus, your STEAM skills will have advance if you want to land a job in one of these fields. Learning social, mobile, analytical, and cloud (SMAC) skills will be vital for future jobs, too. Fast-developing work environment requires a continual skill and knowledge acquisition. Because of rapid technology development, many jobs have been replaced with new professions in the last 20 years.
