One of the most common questions you were asked as a kid was ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Back then the answer was probably a ballet dancer or a teacher, and while those careers would still be pretty amazing there are also a ton of new ones to choose from that didn’t even exist back then. Thanks to technology and the Internet there are career paths to suit everyone’s strengths and interests. Instead of stressing about the robots taking all of our jobs and rendering humans useless, have a look at these careers that aren’t going anywhere any time soon (well, until self-driving cars become the norm anyway):
App Developer
What?
If you have a cool business idea you can make it happen and get it to reach anyone with a smartphone.
Cool, Tell Me More:
Instead of pitching your ideas at the local town market on Saturday mornings (or however entrepreneurs did things 20 years ago) you can take things into your own hands. The App Store was only launched 10 years ago but already apps are an essential part of most peoples’ lives. Without app developers you wouldn’t be able to do your banking on your phone, watch Instastories of Kylie Jenner’s baby, or have access to every song ever made 24/7.
Working in A.I.
What?
Artificial Intelligence is about using robots (and stuff) to make our lives more efficient, making it a broad field for both mathematical minds and people who are interested in humans and you know, being alive.
That Sounds Terrifying, Tell Me More:
A few years ago A.I. was just a film about Haley Joel Osment being a cute robot that seemed totally implausible. Flash forward to now, where Sophia the Robot is giving interviews, and the idea of robots mingling with humans isn’t that crazy any more. It’s still scary though. Robots are the future and with them comes a ton of new careers including being an AI engineer and even being a copywriter for chatbots.
Social Media Expert
What?
Thanks to the importance of social media in the business world there are a huge number of jobs that require this expertise, including online content coordinator, community manager and brand ambassador.
Cool, Tell Me More:
Back in the day if you had a knack for reading people, making connections and knowing what’s up in general all you were good for was being the centre of attention at parties. These days you can monetise your Facebook stalking people skills and work in social media. The fact that running a brand’s social media presence is a legit job is a dream come true for everyone whose parents told them sitting on the Internet all day was a waste of time.
Influencer
What?
Someone who uses their social media feeds to create business for themselves (and get free stuff), think Aisha Baker or Nadia Jaftha.
Cool, Tell Me More:
Another career perfectly suited for you if you’re outgoing. And, yes, being an influencer is totally a career. Building clout is a skill that is not easy to do (just ask anyone who wasn’t popular in high school) and if it can be used to get you money it’s a career. If you wanted to influence people 20 years ago you would have to try get into magazines or break into Hollywood. Now anyone with a tripod and good quality selfie camera can shoot their shot at becoming a professional influential person (good luck trying to explain this career and why you’re advertising skinny tea on your Instagram to your granny though).
Uber Driver
What?
If you have a smartphone, your driver’s license and a car you can totally be a semi-self-employed driver.
Cool, Tell Me More:
Remember how you used to have to call a taxi? Us neither. But apparently, you’d have to use actual airtime to talk to an actual human on the phone who would then send a taxi to you within 20 minutes, if you were lucky and they didn’t get lost on the way. Cab drivers have been around for years, sure, but the launch of Uber has made the job accessible to way more people. You don’t have to be good at reading maps or know every side street off-by-heart. It’s more important to be able to understand the Google Maps lady’s accent when she’s trying to pronounce ‘Buitengracht Street’ or ‘Philip Kgosana Drive’.
Podcaster/YouTuber
What?
Creating content for the whole world to see is as easy as setting up a microphone/putting your camera on a tripod (oh and being hard-working and great at editing and having an incredible personality is also pretty vital too).
Cool, Tell Me More:
Another industry that has been made accessible thanks for technology is the world of radio and TV. If you like to talk and think you have important things to say but don’t want to study journalism and broadcasting that’s okay. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to do some studying but we’re an impatient generation so why wait? For a podcast you need a microphone, an hour’s worth of chatting and an upload to your free SoundCloud page and voila: you’re the next Gareth Cliff (without all the controversy hopefully). And pretty much all YouTubers started from the same place (their bedroom) so no need to move to Hollywood.