I have seen the future and it's scary
The world is entering a period of profound change unlike any other over the last 250 years and in particular the way we work, including the impact of the COVID-19 on businesses.
It is not the distant future that I see, it is the near future and it is happening right now. The technological advances will affect everyone and sweep away industries and associated employment opportunities worldwide.
Don’t swallow the line that demographers are spinning that many new jobs will be created by this revolution. It is driven by the minimisation of labour and the maximisation of productivity and investor returns.
This is what I envisage:
- The delivery of mail and all light parcels will be done by drones…only heavy items like white goods and above will be hand-delivered, and driverless trucks will abound
DISRUPTION: reduced delivery drivers and fewer vehicles on the road, less fuel used, fewer trucks built, fewer motor dealerships and associated service businesses required
- All small components will be produced on-site by 3D printers with only heavy manufacturing remaining
DISRUPTION: factories (throughout Asia in particular) will close, delivery requirements will diminish (see above)
- Robotics will take over many white-collar jobs (administration/accounting) with algorithms now able to learn and remember complex tasks as they go
DISRUPTION: every business has administration and accounting needs and these jobs will disappear (even positions requiring skilled judgement and knowledge of the law)
- Battery technology will power our cars and home electricity needs. Make no mistake this technology is ready now and will make redundant power generations plants, petrol and fuel industries
DISRUPTION: the need for oil will reduce with all of its geopolitical implications, petrol stations will disappear, electricity generation plants (of any type) will not be required, retail gas and electricity distributors will be gone
- Driverless cars will mean that most families will only need one car instead of two or three (perhaps none)
DISRUPTION: Car manufacturing will be limited, the number of cars on our roads will drop dramatically, car servicing and panel repairs will diminish, insurance company turnovers will similarly drop with supporting litigation and lawyers no longer in demand
Will your job be safe? Probably not is the unwanted answer…
You may like to explore the following growth sectors that I believe people should be considering to insulate themselves from this rapid change (if this is actually possible)…agribusiness, technology, communications, health, aged care, construction and related trades.
If you are a young person considering your career prospects then a science degree would be a great insurance policy.
ACMA creates successful career paths through detailed individual assessment, research and job market analysis, combined with expert personalised coaching.
Note: A Career Development Association of Australia research paper found that when professional career guidance occurred that the participant was 2.67 times more likely to secure a job.
All program services can be delivered via our interactive online cloud-based career management "Career Talk" system and/or "one-on-one" in our Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Cairns or Auckland offices.
RING 1800 245 380 now to book a FREE consultation
