The Careers of The Future

If you are applying to college soon, it’s important to find schools that align with your career aspirations. Ideally, of course, you would choose a career that will still be around in 20 years. With AI, automation, and emerging industries reshaping the job market, how do you know what career path will be a good fit for you in the next five, ten, or thirty years?

The job market is evolving faster than ever. While some industries are phasing out and facing job losses, others are growing at fast rates, offering exciting opportunities. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, the expansion of digital access will most significantly transform employment opportunities.

By 2030, 60% of employers expect digital transformation to be a primary force beyond business changes, leading to the creation of 170 million new jobs.

Among the fastest growing careers are positions in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data. According to Forbes, the number of software and application developers is expected to grow by 57%, security management specialists by 53%, data warehousing specialists by 49%, and autonomous and electric vehicle specialists by 48%.

While tech jobs are expected to expand dramatically, healthcare remains a strong and stable industry. According to U.S. News & World Report and The World Economic Forum, careers in medicine and biotechnology rank at the top for wage potential, job stability, and future prospects. The U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of fastest growing occupations between 2023-2033 includes nurse practitioners, medical and health service managers, and physician assistants.

Industries and jobs that rely heavily on routine, repetitive tasks will experience significant challenges due to automation. Roles such as data entry clerks, bookkeepers, and executive secretaries are being replaced by AI. Companies across industries, from media and banking to healthcare, are automating tasks that were previously handled by highly-educated professionals, including medical diagnostics and complex data analysis.

Although an estimated 92 million jobs may be lost, net job growth is still projected to reach 78 million (+ 7%), meaning there will be plenty of jobs for those who are able to adapt to this evolving landscape.

While many discussions on AI and automation emphasize negative consequences on the job market, AI can also be a great tool to improve and optimize productivity. According to a study by the International Monetary Fund, although some jobs are being negatively impacted by automation, many others stand to benefit from AI integration and those who remain up to date with technology can leverage these new technologies to create new opportunities in both existing and emerging industries. This highlights the importance of using AI and developing skills in areas that require human creativity, interaction, and adaptability - qualities that cannot be easily automated.

So, where should we go from here?

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, higher education institutions should be equipping students with a framework called the “humanics” which consists of 3 literacies:

• The first: understanding how AI, data analytics, and digital tools work, even if you are not pursuing a career in this field.
• The second: data literacy, which involves being able to interpret and use data effectively, as this is an important skill to have in almost every industry.
• The third: human literacy, which means developing creativity and critical thinking to differentiate yourself from other people and machines.

While higher education institutions are working to implement this framework, students should take it upon themselves to develop these skills. This does not mean every student should become a machine learning expert. Rather, students should understand how to leverage technology within their field of choice. In an evolving labor market, this will allow students to remain competitive and ride with the waves, as innovation changes entire industries even more in the future.