Predicting the future is difficult, but possible. Today’s labor market is undergoing radical changes due to technology. But there is no need to panic: traditional professions are not dying out, but rather transforming. This research article will be useful for young people who are already at the crossroads of choosing their future profession. It’s great if you already have a goal and know how to go through professional development step by step: is it your father’s business, a family craft? A busy bee has no time for sorrow. Right? But what if these professions become obsolete in the near future?

How are education and work changing?

The constant demand for technical specialists has led to the growing popularity of STEM sciences in education. These include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Add to this the arts (Art), humanities, and new media, and you get another trendy concept – STEAM.
The changes also extend to work. Employers around the world increasingly value a combination of soft and hard skills. The former are social skills: the ability to work in a team, communication skills, creativity, punctuality. The latter are narrow professional skills: driving, knowledge of mathematics or foreign languages, proficiency in special programs, etc.
Modern research institutions have conducted studies to find out how the global labor market will change by 2030. It turns out that literally everything will influence the popularity of professions in the future-artificial intelligence, automation, environmental issues, augmented reality, and, of course, the pandemic and new strains of the virus.
In total, their list includes 30 specialties that will be relevant in the next 5-10 years. Some of them sound quite futuristic, while others are already part of our everyday reality.

Professions that will be relevant in the next 10 years

Programming and development

  1. Software developer
    This profession is relevant today and will remain so in the coming years. Software developers analyze, maintain, write code, and drive forward all the processes we know. The number of digital businesses and services is growing, so there will be a need for people to develop and improve these products.
  2. Digital marketing specialist
    Previously, this was simply the profession of a marketing specialist — a person who understands how to identify and satisfy human and social needs. With the influence of the internet, this profession has moved online and is now successfully developing on the web. This is especially true as there are more and more tools for selling goods.
  3. Big Data analyst
    The term Big Data describes the large amounts of information that businesses obtain about their customers through digital technologies. A simple example: Big Data from an online cinema can show what time of day users usually watch movies and for how many hours at a time. Specialists who analyze data will be in high demand in today’s world. These are the people who can show companies what exactly affects their business and how certain processes can be improved.
  4. Smart device developer
    Smart glasses, watches, home appliances — these are all technologies of the near future. So we need someone to help these things come into being and work. In addition, smart personal devices are predicted to be the next revolution in medicine.
  5. Web developer
    One of the most popular professions today will remain so for the next 10 years. Designing and managing websites using various programming languages is all within their competence.
  6. Cybersecurity specialist
    Cybersecurity is one of the key challenges of the future. In recent years, we have seen the impact of cybersecurity even on life in Ukraine. For example, in 2016, hackers attacked a Ukrainian power plant. When all data goes online, we need people who can protect it and repel the intentions of malicious actors on the network.
  7. Quantum machine learning analyst
    More and more services are simplifying everyday routines — from text editing to transportation management — thanks to algorithms and machine learning. Analysts are responsible for researching and developing solutions that will make system algorithms faster and more productive. This is one of the most important professions of the future, given the next predicted technological leap.

Education and self-improvement

  1. Online teacher
    The experience of the pandemic and internally displaced persons has shown how much this profession can be needed. Especially when the market for online lessons, courses, and training is expanding every day. The Internet attracts more and more students and allows you to make lessons more interesting and interactive.
  2. Coach
    They are popular today and will remain so in the coming years. Coaches help their clients develop and improve in various areas. This segment of the labor market is actively segmented, and today there are already coaches responsible for specific areas of activity: creativity, time management, financial management, etc.
  3. Fitness trainer
    Today, it is fashionable to be healthy and physically active. This trend will continue for many years to come, especially given the growth in the number of “sedentary” professions, so fitness trainers will certainly not be out of work.
  4. Image consultant
    It will always be important for people to look good. But it’s not just about appearance, it’s also about creating a certain public image. Therefore, in the future, they will need someone to help them with this.
  5. Psychotherapist
    People will always need psychotherapists. Especially when there are more and more reasons for stress in the modern world. And it is very unlikely that a human psychotherapist will ever be replaced by some kind of intelligent machine — at least in the near future. Although such experiments already exist.

Design and content creation

  1. Internet content developer
    These professionals are already popular today and will certainly remain relevant in the coming years. They know how to find an audience on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Twitter—and how to communicate with them effectively.
  2. UX designer
    They create designs based on user experience. Their task is to make sure that people feel comfortable using services and that all website features meet customer needs.
  3. 3D architect and engineer
    This person must combine the skills of an engineer, architect, and urban planner. Their main mission is to design spaces in 3D format in order to obtain a more realistic view of new projects.
  4. Social media analyst
    The more new social networks there are, the more potential specialists there are on the market. Analysts must not only conduct content analysis, but also be able to create new and effective development strategies based on their research.

Marketing and sales

  1. Community manager
    This person also works with clients, although the position sounds quite innovative for the Ukrainian labor market. Around the world, such specialists communicate with people and communities around the company, gathering their opinions and feedback, helping the business become better and closer to its customers.
  2. Financial Manager
    Even today, when computers can calculate much better than humans, such a specialist decides what exactly to do with money in order to get the most out of it. Financial manager is another position that has remained relevant for many years.
  3. Customer Service Professional
    Businesses always need people who will help customers get the goods and services they need. This is especially true as more and more processes move online and there is a need for someone who will do everything to ensure that customers are satisfied with online services.
  4. Internal sales representative
    Today, companies are increasingly analyzing their customers and determining which of them are really ready to use their services. Once a customer is found, an internal sales representative will contact them directly and convince them to make the right choice for the business.
  5. E-commerce specialist
    Online stores are already competing with each other on the Internet, and their struggle is only intensifying every year. That is why, in the next ten years, there will be a great need for e-commerce specialists who will help some companies become better than others and take full advantage of all the new online sales tools.
  6. Innovation Manager
    This manager’s job is to keep track of innovations and implement them in the business so that the company works better and can stay one step ahead of the competition.
  7. Staff Training Specialist
    This person is able to see people’s strengths and weaknesses and help them develop and become true professionals in their field.
  8. Paid Traffic Manager
    Works closely with Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Their job is to attract potential customers through proper ad targeting. Without such an expert, companies can suffer significant losses and lose out to the competition, which is only intensifying in internet marketing.

Ecology

  1. Environmental Engineer
    The issue of ecology is more relevant today than ever before, and scientists will be working on solving it for many years to come, which means that this profession will continue to be in demand for a long time.
  2. Waste Management Manager
    Another pressing issue today is waste recycling and disposal. Therefore, companies will need someone who can find the right solution for what to do with waste.
  3. Renewable and alternative energy professional
    Once again, the issue of caring for the environment comes to the fore. Environmental problems are a whole range of issues. Energy is one of them. Natural resources are being depleted every year, so there will be a great need for someone who can find alternative sources of energy.

Medicine and care

  1. Hospital engineer
    New treatments, surgeries, and medical devices are the future of medicine. That’s why hospitals will need engineers who can put together and use all the tech they need.
  2. Personal online caregiver
    These are specialists who will help elderly people online. They will listen to older people and talk to them online. These are not traditional caregivers who treat, feed, and help elderly people. They solve another problem — lack of communication.
  3. Genetic engineer
    This profession already exists today, and its main task is to work proactively. Such a person collects and analyzes all hereditary pathologies. This helps to detect diseases in people even before the first clinical symptoms appear.