2. PERSONAL EDUCATION GUIDE
Going to school is still an effective way to learn and get
recognized credentials. But as we move farther into the future,
it’s possible that education will become much more personalized
and even more convenient than today’s online programs.
Personal education guides may act as coaches and counselors
in helping people choose on-demand courses or designing
customized training plans that utilize freelance instructors. And
they may provide confirmation that their clients have successfully
completed those courses and earned alternative credentials that
more and more employers will recognize as being valid.
3. CUSTOM BODY PART MANUFACTURER
At some point, waiting lists for organ transplants will probably
become a thing of the past. Soon, doctors may be able to order
up custom organs that are grown or 3D-printed using their
patients’ own cells. After all, scientists have already had some
success at creating hearts, kidneys, and livers in their labs. They’ve
even grown skin, ears, and other external body parts.
4. BRAIN IMPLANT SPECIALIST
The human brain is incredibly complex, but mankind’s
understanding of how it works is growing faster than most
of us probably realize. As we combine the rapid advances
in neuroscience with the amazing advances in computer
technology, we’ll end up with some truly amazing possibilities.
Special computer chips may one day be implanted into
people’s brains for benefits such as virtual telepathy, memory
enhancements, disease management, mood regulation, paralysis
treatments, and much more.
5. PERSONAL MICROBIOME MANAGER
When it comes to what you can do with a biology degree, this job
probably isn’t an option quite yet, but it could become a good
one in the decades ahead. As scientists learn more about the
many kinds of bacteria that live inside us and on our skin, they’re
discovering that these microorganisms may play essential roles
in our health and well-being. In fact, having the right balance
of bacteria might be crucial for things like preventing obesity,
heart disease, chronic fatigue, and mental health problems. So
specialists who know how to manage our personal microbiota
may become just as important as today’s physicians.
6. PHARMACEUTICAL ARTISAN
The pharmacy careers of today will probably be around for a
long time. But as 3D printing grows more widespread, it may
become possible to quickly produce customized medications
for people on an on-demand basis (rather than giving out mass-
produced meds). Artisanal drugs could be developed based on
a person’s unique genetics, habits, and medical history. Some
pharmaceutical artisans may even create targeted treatments
based on a person’s own stem cells.
7. URBAN SECURITY COORDINATOR
In a fast-changing world with
more densely populated cities,
keeping people safe from
one another may become
increasingly challenging. Criminal
justice and law enforcement
professionals will have to adapt
and find ways to take advantage of new technologies without
infringing on people’s rights. That could lead to new positions
for security pros with specialized skills in coordinating human
workers and robots, artificial intelligence, and other advanced
technologies within urban environments.
8. END-OF-LIFE MANAGER OR
MEMORIALIZER
With our culture and economy increasingly focused on the
personal brands of individuals, it’s possible that many people,
well in advance of their deaths, will want to plan elaborate
memorial services and celebrations that are more extravagant
than the kind offered by most funeral directors today. In addition,
laws may change to give more people the choice to end their
lives through voluntary euthanasia, something that itself could
become a specially planned event on the scale of a wedding.
That might sound macabre or morally questionable right now,
but it could become a big part of the event planning industry
in the future. If so, professionals will be needed who can help
coordinate major end-of-life celebrations and craft engaging
tributes about dying individuals’ lives and legacies.
9. HYPER-INTELLIGENT
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER
We’re quickly moving toward a future in which humans will
no longer be the operators of transport vehicles. Self-driving
cars are probably only the beginning. With more intelligent
machines and several advanced technologies already in place
or being developed, a future of fully automated transportation
networks may become reality. A new paradigm of smart roads,
vacuum-tube tunnels, maglev trains, and many other advanced
transportation systems could replace our current one.
10. CYBORG DESIGNER
By combining the best aspects of a natural organism with those
of an advanced robot, it may be possible to create a new entity
that is superior to the sum of its parts. So, in the future, highly
creative cyborg designers might be in demand as humans try
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