The great Yogi Berra once quipped, “The future ain't what it used to be.” The legendary New York Yankees player and manager tapped into the uncertainty most of us have about the future. But in the midst of a depressed economy and an ever-changing global marketplace, you don’t have the luxury of sitting back and waiting for the future to come to you. You need to carefully map out your career by studying trends to ensure you devote your education and training to the careers of the future and not the careers of the past. The workers of today and tomorrow need to embrace the trailblazing ways of the starship Enterprise, “to boldly go where no man has gone before,” or at least where only a few have gone.

Growth Fields Offering Job Opportunities

Where are the jobs of the near and distant future? A recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics outlined a list of jobs and growth fields through 2018 and beyond. The fields of information technology, health care, scientific research, engineering, architecture, engineering, business services and even construction, are projected to mushroom and provide jobs to millions of Americans for the next ten-years and beyond. The top three jobs listed are biomedical engineer, network systems and data communications analyst and home health aide. The health and science industries are experiencing a boom, providing job opportunities for today’s workers and this trend is expected to continue in a big way. On the business side, companies will continue to need the services of consultants, especially management analysts, accountants, auditors and database administrators.

Job Opportunities in Scientific Research and Medicine

With the aging population and sweeping technological advances, there will continue to be a growing demand for physician assistants, dental hygienists and physical therapists, as well as for registered nurses and physicians. Medical records administrators will also be needed to transform our medical records for the digital age. In the field of scientific research, biomedical engineers will be in great demand to design the artificial limbs, medical devices and complex delivery systems of the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the field of biomedical research will emerge as "the fastest-growing occupation in the economy." Biochemists and biophysicists will also be needed to research new treatments for our older and ailing population.

Information Technology Jobs are on the Rise

Many IT jobs will most likely, continue to be outsourced, such as some types of software developers, help desk staff and web-site developers, but jobs requiring on-site analytical skills will continue to provide job opportunities and employment for many in the tech industry. Network systems and data communications analysts, who create and maintain specialized computer networks for organizations will continue to be in demand, as well as highly trained computer applications software engineers. And the field of social media is projected to continue to provide a wealth of employment opportunities now and in the future, including social media managers and social media marketers. As the digital marketplace and e-commerce landscape continues to grow, organizations will need savvy social media experts to manage their marketing activities on multiple media channels. Market research analysts will also be in high demand to target increasingly important niche markets.

The Future and Beyond

For a look into the very distant future, Wendy Enelow, Founder of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, predicts employment opportunities in 2030 may include skilled digital mind readers, who can translate brain signals into words, as well as bio-botic physicians, who specialize in fine tuning our future nanobot technology and artificial medical devices. The registered nurses of the future would specialize in treating victims exposed to toxic chemicals and digital archaeologists would conduct deep digital background searches on people. And of course, our Jetsons-like households would need the services of Roboticians to repair our domestic robots. Whatever the future holds, today’s job seekers need to actively plan their careers and become informed trendspotters.