How future proof is your job?

[Hooli]

I was having a very interesting conversation with my DM today about working 4 days a week. She feels I should have gone PT when DD was born.

I explained that in my profession (marketing) I needed to move up as high as possible to make sure my job was future proof. I'm 42 now, and am a manager. It took me years to get from an exec position to a manager but I know I could easily be replaced by someone younger and more cutthroat if I'm not a director and given the issues with pensions and working ages, I'll need to be in this role til im 75 it seems. I would never be taken seriously nor get a promotion if I dropped to PT hours. I feel shit enough about this as it is without her guilt tripping me.

So I wanted to see how future proof other people's job are, and whether I'm being a heartless bitch thinking of my future and not my child's present.

I have worked part time ever since my DDs were born. ) eldest is 21)
Luckily I am in a very specialised area of teaching where we are diminishing and as rare as hen's teeth so pretty future proof!

Nope, not remotely future proof. I’m a mid-high level in my industry, and the industry is notoriously unstable. My role is also a ’luxury ‘ role as I am a performance trainer and coach, so will be one of the first areas axed if the ship hits rocky water.

It’s ok, I know what this is all about, I’ll deal with it.

Police officer. I would say I am reasonably future proofed, unless all crime suddenly and completely stops. If it does, I imagine that I will find mew employment in this utopia. Flying pig catcher perhaps

Yeah pretty future proof. People will always get injured or want new joints so am pretty safe.

But I’d never have gone part-time at a junior level and I know it is really frowned upon unless you’re very senior.

Not future proof at all. My job is a low paid, low level job and very likely to be redundant within a few years. But it is better than anything else around here so I will cling on until the bitter end.

@PCexhausted ditto, probation, fairly senior role. Our industry is going nowhere and burn out is high enough there will always be opportunities. Happy days...

Yep, I'm pretty safe. Jobs everywhere.

Yep chosen an area of nursing for this reason

I'm an HCA, as the population grows older they'll need more care.

I'll have to work until 68 though so I hope my health holds out for another 27 years!!

Or I'll be giving out bedpans on a Zimmer frame!

Fairly future proofed, you have to know and understand thousands of things to be able to do what I do.

Teacher so should be OK despite not teaching a core subject. Unless we are replaced by robots, or kids simply download info straight into their brains..

It's future proof in that there will always be a choice of multiple jobs, but not all roles will be aging proof as many have a physical element.

MyLearnedFriend you can help me care for the flying piggies if it happens

PC

Library assistant here, doesn’t feel very future proof at all at the moment. Councils are cutting back to the extent of having unstaffed library opening hours and all issues and returns are done on self service machines. To be honest our main role now seems to be to help people fill in online benefits forms.

Teacher so should be OK despite not teaching a core subject

Or if the birth rate falls? DB and DSil are teachers and it concerns them.

I work in the complaints department for one of the major UK banks.

I think that's pretty future-proof, can't see that line of work drying up somehow

Fairly future proof. I work in immigration and while my particular area is quite specialised and demand for it may change, overall, there'll always be some form of border control.

Police officer. I would say I am reasonably future proofed, unless all crime suddenly and completely stops.

Falling police numbers? You could theoretically do away with the police, you don't see them patrolling they don't turn up to 999 calls, a lot of their work is now done by admin and specials. Riots could be managed by service persons.

Nothing is future proof, industries improve, move on, get out sourced abroad. The cycles of factories and cottage industries. Theoretically (And I have seen it done) teaching could be done via distance learning. Even the low end jobs are now done by migrant workers.

No one has a job for life like the good old days of local councils, the armed forces, police, fire, ambulance, teaching, banking, insurance - all subject to cuts and redundancies.

There’s a lot of competition for my industry, but I’m very good at my job(!). The industry is constantly changing, so people tend to leave because they’re fed up of it, rather than being made redundant. I expect I’ll get fed up of it within ten years - I have a long term plan for a career change. I’m a creative and don’t like doing the same thing for too long.

Another HCA here, so fairly future proof, as people will always need to be in hospital, and our hospital always seems short of staff.

Unless we all get replaced by robots...

I’m a teacher and teach Science, so a core subject. I think it’s more future proof than most jobs! I’ve been fortunate that I’ve never struggled to move posts, and never been under threat of redundancy.

That’s rubbish of your Mum to be guilt tripping you over that, it sounds like you’re very sensible with your forward planning. My Mum (who quit work when she had me) once made a judgemental comment that she didn’t understand why women didn’t go part time after having babies. After thirty minutes of me pointing out about single parents, rising costs of living, financial uncertainty, trying to get back into work or back to the same position afterwards... she saw my point somewhat.

Anyone that works with a computer will probably probably be replaced in a decade

I’m a PA to a director. I know in America they have started using virtual assistants which are basically AIs who are programmed to pick up key phrases in emails to set up meetings etc.

But they’re very early days and make a lot of mistakes!! And it’s very weird to email one I would say I’m relatively safe until AI gets more sophisticated as I have to do a lot of problem solving and critical thinking that currently only people can manage.