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 don't think anyone starting work now will expect to stay in the same job. Technology and the possibilities for change in the next 20 years even are HUGE, let alone 30, 40, or 50 years.
When I started work nobody had computers, let alone the internet, or e-mails and so forth - there's probably not many jobs that, whilst they still exist, haven't in some ways changed. Not in the way we thought (hoped?) in that there would be so much time saved, but in the way of expectations just being so very different.
My job is pretty future proof in that I can't be replaced by technology or anything in the few years I've got left, but Local Authority funding having been completely slashed just means the jobs disappear and the work doesn't get done.
I was talking about one of my ds's friends with him today - he's working at a crematorium, and we were laughing about job security - after all, the one thing certain in life, is death - but who knows how differently we will deal with that in 20, 30, 40 years time.

I agree with what @Pinkprincess1978 said (also in HR). Everyone is replaceable.

Part time working is hard to get / find, but it is out there. I managed to return to work initially pt and built back up to ft over 4 days over 3 years. Promoted during that time too and now senior.

Glad I stayed in work and didn’t take a few years out (only 12 months) as I would have struggled with changes in law, practice, trends etc.

Being younger is in my job role. Being cut-throat could be a disadvantage.

I expected this thread to be entirely hand-wringing about AI taking over everything (grossly exaggerated risk, imho).

Part my job is modelling: lots of lateral & creative thinking.
Another part is evaluating scientific evidence. There are set scientific methods, but there's art and savvy, too.
There's lots of people skills moments, too.

If I lose my job before I want to retire, it's more to do with my character defects than AI.

aw nuts... meant to write being younger is IRRELEVANT. Not sure where that went.

Software developer. Any particular position is not safe at all, constant redundancies in this industry. But, there are always new languages in demand to learn; the trick is always keeping on the crest of the wave and getting experience in the new skills.

Very. I work in environmental protection.

Midwife. I'm grand

I'm on probation, it's been extended due to poor attendance (mental health issues) and up for review this month. My attendance has improved (had a few days due to anxiety) but taking steps (CBT) and improving. Manager really wants to keep but so will fight my corner but we shall see. The job itself is pretty solid though, professional services admin in a university in a department that holds a lot of weight with the VC and our team is the only one expanding at the moment so.. fairly positive.

I chose my career because I could do it until my 70s and if AI gets sophisticated enough to do it then we’ll have reached the point where AI will do away with humans!

My job is in advertising and client servicing focused, it’s generally acknowledged to be one of the few AI proof jobs in the industry.

The reality is AI is coming for a lot of people, even my magic circle lawyer friends are having AI start to do part of their jobs. It won’t make all roles redundant but it will reduce entry level / permanent positions in the next few years.

I’ll be looking at establishing passive revenue streams in the next 10 years just in case.

I think AI will have bigger impact than people realise

I made a massive effort to get to a senior position before having kids to future proof my career. I was really driven, and really loved my job. I’d seen so many women in my profession (teacher) have kids and then seem to get stuck; go part time for a while and then get passed up on promotions once their kids were older. After having my kids, though, I completely changed. I spent about a year dropping responsibilities, days, till I eventually quit completely. I was advised against it by so many of my close female colleagues, who advised me to hold out for a few years and then I could continue on the ladder once my kids were older. But it just seemed like so many years away! At the moment, I’m not regretting my decision at all. My kids are still primary aged, I’ve started up my own business earning a lot less, but it’s centred around being there for my kids every day. I suspect there will be a time in the future, when my kids are more independent, that I’ll regret what I’ve done. I doubt that, after 5/10 years out of teaching, I’ll ever get back up to the position I was when I left and maybe it will all have been a huge mistake. Who knows? It’s all individual choice and doing what feels best at the time.

I certainly don’t think anyone woman who maintains their career through raising children is a ‘heartless bitch’. Far from it. You need a medal. The women who keep at it in the workplace and make it work are inspiration for all the younger women behind them, and a reminder that women deserve a place at the table.

My job type, I think ok. There will be a need for chemists/ analytical scientists for the foreseeable.

The industry I'm in... hopefully ok until I'm due to retire. The arse could potentially fall out of it in time I think....

As long as I keep up my training i'm future proof.

Whet I am now we are ahead of the curve so it's fine, but I worry that if the company ethos changes I could get stuck.

I'm a Children's Social Worker, unfortunately people will always abuse or neglect their children so looks like mine is future proof!! Wish it wasn't though

My job has changed with technology over the years. Started as a magazine designer, moved sideways into web design, moved sideways into graphic design and social media marketing.

I'll keep on moving and learning as needed.

Creative role,
I’m senior
I’d be replaced in seconds
I hate the head heart conflict

OP I'm same role as you and until recently I would have agreed. However currently we are finding such a pile of shit to recruit from in the "younger" generation (I feel so old) that I no longer have that fear so much. Digital is one thing yes. But many other parts of our role such as the ability to spell, present and brief - the younger ones are sorely lacking. Add that to their poor work ethic and I honestly starting to feel there is nothing to fear!

I think mine should be fine. I’m senior management and I don’t see my role being at risk either in my company or in other companies. It’s not a profession which is dominated by young people either so i think I should be ok.

I'm a probation officer working in a prison. The most I have to worry about in terms of my job security that I'll be moved back into community offender supervision, which I would hate, but as a job in general, unless no one ever commits a crime, I have a job for life

I agree that things career wise are different from previous generations. Not sure how future proof my job is per se but I did drop to pt hours and I feel rather stuck where I am. Maybe that's not great but I feel I'm in a much better position than some friends who opted out of their careers altogether. Not judging! But I think you do have to keep your hand in and depending on what industry you are in that might mean keeping ft hours and that's fine! Now most of my peers' children are at school I know a lot some of them feel they have to start again career wise and it feels demeaning. This is allllll so wrong. But in a round a bout way I'm saying you are not wrong in playing the long game.

What I do now depends entirely on grants and government finance, so not safe at all.

I should have probably stayed in my old role - professional shit shoveler and riding instructor.

Neither I can see being replaced with robots anytime soon 😂 💩 🐎

My job is in Tourism in a sector that is steadily growing each year.
DH's job is a bit rocky but he's hoping for redundancy (so he can retire a year earlier) rather than dreading it.

I work with data in a way that fits with AI. It should see me through to retirement.

Basic elements of my job are starting to be outsourced from the institution I work for to companies that use zero hours contracts.

Although I think the job itself is future proof, there will eventually be far fewer of us needed to do only the bits that can't be outsourced.

I am working on finding a new role.