WHETHER you are somebody who is still in education and thinking about your future career or a parent trying to help a child who is, career goals entail a lot of consideration and thought. Factors that go into the mix include personal strengths and weaknesses, location and salary.
But one other factor to consider that is growing in relevance Is the degree to which a career path is future-proof.
Planning a future career path
The search for a career follows a pattern, by and large. Once you have established which industry is the best fit, you can identify specific job roles that might be of interest.
Networking online is very beneficial in the early research phase. Constructing a LinkedIn profile that lends you credibility and a sense of personal branding can springboard you into establishing connections with people in your desired profession. This can lead to anything from informal conversations about how their jobs work to getting seen by recruiters and liaising with employers about job postings.
Finally, the stage involves applying for jobs and attending interviews.
Top careers for the next 10 years
In an ever-changing world, it’s in your best interests to find a career path that is projected to be in high demand over the next decade.
Monster.co.uk provides a handy list of jobs that should be very safe for the foreseeable future, including the roles of teachers, healthcare professionals and engineers. Most of these are industries that are not only stable but projected to grow in line with rising demand.
How futureproof is a career in tech?
As an example, the tech industry is clearly one that is going to continue growing, and engineers are highly sought after, despite the increasing use of automation.
Soft skills and high-level skills such as understanding AI and being well-versed in data structures will be increasingly relevant in this field over the coming years.
With computer science and software development among the most valuable careers for the future, global technology experts OKdo conducted research to find out how children at school can most effectively start learning the relevant skills.
They found that kids who took computer science lessons in school benefitted in multiple areas, academically. 96% of teachers (both primary and secondary) surveyed said that they saw it improve other hard and soft skills, along with IT skills.
The skills that they reported to have seen the most improvement in were maths, creative-thinking and problem-solving, with communication skills and teamwork also high on the list.
19% of primary school teachers and 23% of secondary school teachers believed that computer science teachers improved overall academic performance.
And school isn’t the only place where these skills can be taught. Basic coding can be taught to young children through apps such as Daisy the Dinosaur, Hopscotch and Raspberry Pi.
Toy manufacturers are realising the benefits of toys that teach kids to programme as well, so there are various programmable toy robots and kits available for kids of all ages.
Whether or not your passion is for computer programming and coding or something completely different, it pays to consider all the pros and cons of your future career before you get there. When you find a job that is a great fit for you as well as highly sought after years down the line, your future self will thank you.
