Jobs of the future: four steps to help you decide what’s next.

The World Economic Forum has recently published the Future of Jobs report and two claims in particular caught my attention:

1)    On average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period.

2)    If the world’s workforce were made up of 100 people, 59 would need training by 2030. 

It’s clear that we constantly need to be upgrading our skills to stay relevant in the fast-changing market. But upgrading to what, exactly? I won’t pretend to have absolute answers, but I’ll offer a framework to help you assess your range of possibilities. I’ll walk you through four layers of the framework: Industry, Function, Work Arrangement, and Superpower.

1. The industry.

I believe in doing what you love and what you are naturally drawn to. If you have found that and it is paying your bills, feel free to stop reading now. But sometimes, that happy equation gets disrupted: you love it, but the industry is changing, and you may not have this job in five years’ time; you loved it before, but your priorities have shifted; or maybe you’re still searching for something to love.

If you’re not strongly drawn to any particular field and could use a nudge, it might be worth looking at the industries likely to grow in the next five years. To make this list, I’ve consulted several oracles -  consultancies, think tanks and venture funds.

If your core skillset matches expert requirements in these areas – bingo, you’ve likely won job security for the near future.

If your industry is not on the list, don’t fret. No one’s cancelling retail, agriculture, dentistry or primary school teaching. And all the other parts of our everyday lives.

If you’re a teacher, a medical doctor or an expert of any kind – your 39% of upskilling is likely to involve incorporating AI into your role. In many professions, there will be an expectation to do so.

And if you’re not a subject matter expert, let’s jump to the next layer: the function.

2. The function

Not everyone has a PhD in biochemistry or computer science. Many of us work in roles that are more “horizontal” rather than “vertical” – roles that apply across industries. I’m talking about functions like project management, operations, and legal support. These are likely to remain, even if AI lends a hand.

If this sounds like you and you’d like to strengthen your job security, consider bringing your function closer to one of the ten high-growth industries. 

3. The job arrangement

For better or worse, we’re moving towards a future where full-time, nine-to-five employment is no longer the default. Work arrangements are diversifying —contract, part-time, flexible, freelance. Many of us are already living the hybrid reality, where work-life boundaries are blurrier than ever. There’re talks about a four-day working week (my ex-employer already implemented one -  it was a dream), more careful hiring, and even the intention to invest in AI rather than hiring staff, expressed by 51% of UK business leaders.

All of this suggests we may need to learn to become more comfortable with flexible work arrangements. Personally, as someone with a portfolio career, I’m rather excited by it. But I know it may feel like an adjustment for many. Here comes the third layer.

4. What's my Superpower?

Beyond your job title, there’s usually a theme — something that just follows you wherever you go. During career coaching sessions, I often hear reflections like:

• “Whenever there’s tension between teams, I’m always the one people call to resolve it.”

• “I just can’t stop innovating and coming up with new ways of doing things, no matter what role I’m in.”

• “I’m the ultimate organiser. I’m the Marie Kondo of every department I’ve worked in.”

Yes I’m talking about the good old super-power – something so essential about you it manifests itself all the time and it’s one of the first things people mention about you in a professional context.

Being in touch with what you enjoy and what comes naturally to you will help you make better decisions. If you find fulfilment in inspiring people, then you may want to stay closer to content creation, thought leadership or coaching and training. If you like seeing the results of your work expressed in growth, then focus on opening new retail outlets, bringing in those leads and closing sales. If keeping calm in a storm is a quality you’re mostly proud of, then project management, customer care, and mediation might be for you.

Whatever your formal job description sounds like, it’s important to find space to express that core strength – it will bring you the most satisfaction.

Here comes the fourth layer. The list is not exhaustive, and you’re welcome to add your own.

 And there you have it – a full matrix to make your job a bit more future-proof.

Play with it and see what combination seems right for you. Of course, it doesn’t cover all possible industries and combinations, but it may be a useful framework for looking at the options.

If you want to work on your career scenarios in a group setting, join the workshop this Sunday.