• About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Offers
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Digital Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Offers
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Digital Magazine
NZBusiness Magazine

Type and hit Enter to search

Linkedin Facebook Instagram Youtube
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
NZBusiness Magazine
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
Health & Safety

What are the jobs of the future?

In today’s uncertain world everyone is trying to crystal ball their future. And why wouldn’t they? Roxanne Calder predicts tomorrow’s employment landscape. Our employability has never been more important, nor fragile. Globally, […]

Glenn Baker
Glenn Baker
July 29, 2021 4 Mins Read
476

In today’s uncertain world everyone is trying to crystal ball their future. And why wouldn’t they? Roxanne Calder predicts tomorrow’s employment landscape.

Our employability has never been more important, nor fragile. Globally, there were 114 million job losses during COVID in 2020, and in the second quarter of 2020 reduced hours equated to 525 million jobs. Our working world can never be the same.

I can’t predict the future, but I deal daily with the jobs of the present and being an employment expert, this is what I can tell you about the future of our workforce and jobs.

There are jobs now that we’d never heard of a decade ago. According to the World Economic Forum, 65 percent of primary school children will end up working in new job types that are not even on your radar yet. This is nothing to be daunted by; it’s always been a part of our human fabric and history.

Have you heard of a knocker-upper? Probably not. They were human alarm clocks; legitimate and respected jobs. The same as the milkman. And what of influencers – who would have considered such a job 10 years ago?

While certain jobs disappear, others evolve.

In 1934, on the topic of training at school, the New York Times wrote, ‘should we meet the eager interest of present-day or jobs that seem most probable?’. Today, in 2021, we can ask the same question. Every new era brings different needs and demands when it comes to employment.

Opportunities abound

Already, there are a multitude of job opportunities in various industries. The world’s population is ageing and with life expectancy increasing, there are ample jobs and not just for healthcare workers. Consider all that flows on from trainers, educators, counsellors, personal health trainers, exercise experts, psychologists – all specializing within the aged industry. 

Social media opens a realm of opportunities – good and not so good. With the search for perfection and the ideal ‘pic’, the aesthetics industry is growing rapidly. In the next five years, the global medical aesthetics market is projecting a 10.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).  As with the aged industry, I suspect the increase in demand to be those services supporting our human development in society.

Future-proof yourself

So, how to future proof yourself and look to the jobs of the future?

Focus on transferable skills. The continual acquisition of skills invests in your future. Skills evolve, but unlike jobs that disappear, your skills do not. And like all good investments, skills too increase in value.

The human alarm clock was a great project manager and workforce coordinator and your milkman, logistics and delivery specialist. Upskill, reskill, be curious and prepare to pivot. We are working in what is referred to as our fourth industrial revolution. Think of it as smart-tech. The rate of technology is not expected to decrease and, in some areas, will accelerate.

Australia and New Zealand are experiencing a severe talent and skills shortage. Often confused with a population issue – and in some regards, is correct with our ageing population exiting the workforce and the significant decrease in migration. However, what overlays all of this is the skills deficit. Put simply, we don’t have the skills to keep up with the rate of demand required for the present and future job market.

While many roles of today will continue, the way we perform these roles will change. Wearable technology allows nurses to provide real-time data, allowing for greater efficiency than previous manual methods of filing, updating etc.

As for your local mechanic? With cars now fitted with electronics, the role has morphed into a diagnostic technician. ‘Same job’ fixing cars – just done differently.

The skills gap needed for future jobs

Enhancing your skillset and having a thirst for knowledge will be your competitive advantage. With the aforementioned shortage of skilled workers across the board, there is an expectation from employers for existing workers to fill in the gaps, 94% of business leaders expect employees to pick up new skills on the job.

With the move to work remotely and more independently, the skills increasing in demand are critical thinking, problem-solving, self-management, learning, communication, resilience, and flexibility. These are some of the major skills to transition you forward to future and alternate jobs and job types. This must be music to the ears of anyone concerned about jobs of the future.

Perhaps not? Whilst employers expect to offer reskilling and upskilling to over 70% of their employees by 2025, only 42% of those employees are expected to take up the reskilling and upskilling opportunities.

Being in tune with the future demands and ready to mould and adapt is essential, but so is polishing the craft of being employable. Knowing what is next will be of little help if you can’t future-0proof yourself.  It is about being deliberate in your ongoing professional development to be ready for the future of jobs as well as the jobs of the future. It is the choice and not the accident that will decide how successful you are.

 

Roxanne Calder, author of ‘Employable – 7 Attributes to Assuring Your Working Future’ (Major Street $29.95), is the founder and managing director of EST10 – one of Sydney’s most successful administration recruitment agencies. Roxanne is passionate about uncovering people’s potential and watching their careers soar. For more information on how Roxanne can assist you in your career, visit www.est10.com.au

Share Article

Glenn Baker
Follow Me Written By

Glenn Baker

Glenn is a professional writer/editor with 50-plus years’ experience across radio, television and magazine publishing.

Other Articles

Gert Venter 2
Previous

Now’s good for business events

Icehouse 2021
Next

Knowing Your Numbers

Next
Icehouse 2021
July 29, 2021

Knowing Your Numbers

Previous
July 29, 2021

Now’s good for business events

Gert Venter 2

Subscribe to our newsletter

NZBusiness Digital Issue – June 2025

READ MORE

The Latest

A smooth journey to business growth

June 25, 2025

Tourism HQ revamps rite of passage for first-time travellers with Spring Break Fiji 2.0

June 25, 2025

Power shift

June 23, 2025

AI that actually works for you

June 20, 2025

How tech, optimism and agility can drive SME growth

June 19, 2025

Disruption and opportunity: Why Kiwi companies are looking to the UK

June 19, 2025

Most Popular

Understanding AI
How much AI data is generated every 60 seconds? New report reveals global AI use
Navigating economic headwinds: Insights for SME owners
Navigating challenges: Small business resilience amidst sales decline
Nourishing success: Sam Bridgewater on his entrepreneurship journey with The Pure Food Co

Related Posts

Engineering safer workplace solutions for Kiwi companies

March 24, 2025

Stop striving for balance: Why flow is your new best friend

November 20, 2024

Ensuring your worksite is safe this summer

February 13, 2024
David Price

Global survey: rising costs top concern for SMEs

January 8, 2024
NZBusiness Magazine

New Zealand’s leading source for business news, training guides and opinion from small businesses to multi-national corporations.

© Pure 360 Limited.
All Rights Reserved.

Quick Links

  • Advertise with us
  • Magazine issues
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Sitemap

Categories

  • News
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Education & Development
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability

Follow Us

LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability