The terms "internet of things" and artificial intelligence have become some of the most used words of our daily vocabulary thanks to Industry 4.0, or in other words digitalization. However, the main reason why we hear such terms in our work and social environment is to inform us as well as the people about the "new life" advanced technology is currently drawing for us.
Digitalization will first take over jobs that are routine. However, instead of panicking over it, it is, in fact, an opportunity for workers to adapt to the new age and draw a new career path for themselves.
Academic Şebnem Özdemir from the Department of Management Information Systems at Beykent University has come up with a list of future jobs, after thorough research. Özdemir's list features jobs and job definitions that we have never heard of and may have no idea what they are.
There were many reasons for Özdemir to put this list together, but the main reason was for Turkey and Turkish employees to have a complete guide while building their careers in light of future job possibilities.
Şebnem Özdemir believes that digital transformation in every area of life will take away 80 percent of currently existing jobs, thus employees need to plan more and be conscious about what to expect in a digital world for their careers.
"People fear artificial intelligence and robots will take over their jobs but instead of panicking I want to respond to this fear by putting together this list. Some governments and companies abroad are putting together reports every six months and predict what future jobs will be and how to adapt to the changing world. With the speed rate of technological advancements, a month is even a long time for updates on such reports," Özdemir said.
Multiple disciplines system
Özdemir's list is full of jobs and new job descriptions that are predictable, but the future is full of mysteries. In 1988, futurists foresaw that food processors would be more common in the future and were able to define a new job titled "food processor designer."
"No matter how much is unpredictable," said Özdemir speaking to Daily Sabah, "we can say that future jobs will be the extension of the individuals' imaginations."
With Özdemir's list, we have a road map but what advice can be given to the young people who are at the beginning of their careers, as well as professionals?
Özdemir underlines that employees may have an idea for what kinds of new jobs and titles exist right on the tip of their imagination: "Regardless of your diploma and specialization, today you can plan an idea for a new job in accordance with your interests and even create your own sector. In this new world where accessing everything is easy, we are our only obstacle. We must ask ourselves 'should we only settle for the lessons and classes we took at the university and passing exams?' 'What lacks in the industry I wanted to work in?' 'What to do and read to catch up with what I want?' There is one thing for sure: The future will be for those who can compete with themselves."
Never think 'it is nonsense'
For Özdemir, the most important thing to prepare for when thinking about future jobs and education related to such fields is to keep your imagination fresh. "The students who are enrolled this year might find themselves in a professional environment that they are not fully equipped for when they graduate. To tackle this problem, individuals have to be open-minded and keep their imaginations alive. They should never think 'this is nonsense' and continue to dream, keeping their abstract thinking abilities fresh," said Özdemir.
List of future jobs
Şebnem Öztürk's list is long, featuring 150 different jobs and job titles; here are a sample pf some of the titles she came up with:
Augmented Reality Journey Builder, AI Assisted Health care Technician, AI Business Development Manager, AI Trainer, Augmented Reality (AR) User Experience Designer, Augmented Reality & Virtual World Creator, Blockchain Project Manager, Business AI Analyst, Bot Lobbyist, Climate Analyst & Weather Moderator, Cognitive Computing Engineer, Coding Ethicist, Chatbot Crime Specialist, Cyber City Analyst, Crypto Detective, Data Hostage Specialist, Data Based Environment Designer, Drone Technician, Drone Traffic Optimizer, E-sports Ethics Enforcer, Driverless Vehicle Security Specialist, Driverless "Ride Experience" Designer, Genetic Code Designer, Future Currency Speculator, Human-Machine Relationship Regulator, Hyper-Intelligent Transportation Engineer, Genetic Code Designer, Genomic Portfolio Director, Intelligent Digital Agent, Nostalgist, Human-Machine Teaming Manager, IA/T in Medicine Based Designer, Nano-Weapons Specialist, Personal Memory Curator, Personal Data Broker, Robotic Or Holographic Avatar Designer, Quantum Machine Learning Analyst, Robopsychologist, Robot Coordinator, 3D Food Printer Chef, 3D Printer Engineer, Space Explorer, Streamcaster and Vertical Farm Specialist.
