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22 April 2025
While no one knows that will happen tomorrow, it is certain that new sectors will be created while existing industries will be disrupted.
2020 has been a year that has given us pause to reflect on the aspects of society which are in need of restoration.
There are elements and services which we can with almost universal agreement say are fundamental and need to be maintained if we are to continue having prosperity. These same sectors can also act as a guide for future employment opportunities as these areas surely need investment from human capital.
While those mentioned in this article are just a few suggestions, the trends they speak to can be broadened to incorporate other sectors, of course.
Expanding opportunities
Not only because of the pandemic, but health care professionals will have jobs of the upmost importance while simultaneously incorporating technology in a myriad of ways.
Doctors, nurses, scientists and technicians will continue to make impressive medical advancements which have achieved such marvels as the COVID-19 vaccine as well as utilising other diagnostic tools right in the palm of their hand.
The medical profession is going through changes that many other fields are as well and this involves localisation and empowerment of the people they care for. While these shifts in power dynamics and the advancements in artificial intelligence will surely add to the quality and efficiently of health care tomorrow, the final decisions will still come down to the physicians and medical personnel, so it is an excellent field to devote oneself to.
Similar to health care, the environment and how we will interact with it will be crucial, so architects will be needed to give creative solutions to the problems we face today and certainly will have to contend with tomorrow, such as our environmental impact, a growing global population and challenges to our physical and mental wellbeing.
This will involve the invention of new building materials and sustainable designs that take into account the changing climate and individualised needs. Perhaps, they could even act to reverse some of the damage done by previous generations.
Of course, the construction of the materials will be done with the precision of artificial intelligence and machines, but the creative element will still be human-driven.
Likewise, those working in providing greener, more ecologically friendly solutions to our power demands will certainly be on the rise in the coming decades, not only because of government initiatives pushing for such transformations but also by market-driven forces.
Strategies versus professions
While these sectors will have a future in one way or another, it could be very different than it is today. This brings us to the basic element of the article, which is that no one knows what the world will be like tomorrow.
New sectors will be created while existing industries will be disrupted. What is known is that one would have chances to fair better in the job market of the future if they attempt to mitigate any difficult situations that may arise.
Specifically, this would mean planning for the future in a way that leaves more than one option open for you to go down. And this strategy should be repeated so that after a decision is made and a route chosen, new options constantly are immerging.
In this way, our job search for the future should focus on what we want rather than what we expect, and then working towards creating that reality and preparing oneself for the likely challenges one will encounter.
Avoiding pitfalls
Nevertheless, there are sectors which are ripe for automation and those areas will have fewer jobs, necessarily, than they do today.
Manufacturing will continue to have fewer trained professionals, but so too many positions in accountancy, legal procedures, and computer coding may be automated in 20 years time, so preparing oneself for the volatility of the market is essential.
Lingering power of education
Lifelong learning is one of the keys to success. Not just the foreboding phrase of ‘reskilling’ but the capacity to seek out new interests and pursue with the intensity required to master new abilities, many of which may not even exist today.
The best entrepreneurs are lifelong learners, knowing that the world and market shift rapidly, and it is necessary to adapt if one is to stay competitive.
For these reasons, education will be a field that is likely to expand as we will all need to have instructors to help lead us down paths yet trodden, but those promising, hopefully, a brighter and cooler future.
This is a summary of a discussion with Weronika Kuna (Government Affairs Lead, Microsoft) and Daniel Szemerey (Director & Co-founder of Health Venture Lab, GE Healthcare) at the New Europe 100 Forum 2.0 on 10-11 December 2020, edited by Galan Dall, Editor-at-Large of Visegrad Insight. Find out more about the New Europe 100 network here. For updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The interview is part of a project supported by the International Visegrad Fund.
