Social Technologies Forecasts New Jobs for 2020



As students graduate this spring, their ultimate goal may be to land a job as a lawyer, banker, doctor, writer, or engineer. But the landscape of career options is always evolving.

As long as the fabled leisure society never quite arrives, we will keep finding ways to be paid, says futurist Josh Calder, leader of the Global Lifestyles program at the Washington, DC-based research and consulting firm Social Technologies LLC. Fortunately, technological and social changes perpetually create new forms of work.

Social Technologies's team of analysts sees these 10 new jobs on the horizon:

1. Realizer--Creates real versions of virtual objects for people, from grog tankards to sports cars.
2. E-scrubber--Works to undo or minimize the indiscretions that people accumulate on the Web.
3. Unrealtor--Creates virtual tourism, adventure, and retail destinations.
4. Nano-decontaminator--Cleans up nanomaterials now being spread through the environment.
5. Deceptionist--Provides tech-enabled deception services for those wishing to disguise their activities.
6. Genetic dietician--Creates diets tailored to people'ss individual genetic makeup.
7. Geoscaper--Makes corporate and private properties look attractive in Google Earth-style aerial views.
8. Unplugger--Counselor/ mental health professional who helps wean people from excessive technology use.
9. Eye pilot--Operates small, remotely piloted, camera-equipped aerial vehicles over war zones, disasters, and other locations of interest on behalf of news services, nongovernmental organizations, and private companies.
10. Sexbot controller--Many things can be done remotely. Not for the squeamish.

Though many of these positions are highly specialized, they represent much larger trends including transparency, virtualization, and outsourcing. What is most significant about the list, Calder notes, is that nine of these 10 jobs involve managing information, which is central to ever more fields.

About Social Technologies
Social Technologies is an international research and consulting firm specializing in the integration of foresight, strategy, and innovation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Social Technologies has offices in London and Shanghai, and a client list that includes Global 1,000 corporations, government agencies, and major nonprofits, as well as a worldwide network of analysts and consultants. The firm is recognized for its unique perspectives and approaches, which combine rigor with creativity, knowledge with action, and technology with culture. For more information, see www.socialtechnologies.com and the blog changewaves.socialtechnologies.com.





Social Technologies Forecasts New Jobs for 2020