State of Auto: If You're Not in One of These 10 Jobs, You Should Be

In this series, professionals debate the state – and future – of their industry. Read more here, then write your own #MyIndustry post.

We’re at the start of a revolution that is changing the way people drive and interact with cars, and it’s closer than many think. As I’ve said before, the auto industry will change more in the next five years than it has in the last 50.

Around the world, social and technological changes are redefining personal mobility and rewriting the rules of vehicle use and ownership. I’m talking about huge improvements in connectivity, car-sharing, electrification, vehicle safety, even cars that drive themselves.

At GM, we don’t fear this kind of disruption – we are working to lead it. And, we’re constantly looking for the right people to join our team.

Here are just a few examples of what we’ve been up to:

• In 2015, we sold seven times more 4G-equipped vehicles than the rest of the industry combined. By the end of this year, we’ll have 12 million vehicles on four continents connected through our OnStar system.

• Our Maven car-sharing program is up and running in China, Germany, New York, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, with more locations on the way.

• We’re very excited about our alliance with ride-sharing company Lyft to create an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles.
• We recently acquired Cruise Automation to further accelerate our development of autonomous vehicle technology.

• And our Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a range of more than 200 miles, starts production this year.

We see tremendous opportunities in today’s global auto industry, including the chance to develop dramatically cleaner, safer, smarter and more energy-efficient vehicles for customers around the world.

Who will lead these changes?

Engineers, inventors, designers, marketers and others with the passion and talent to reinvent personal transportation and change the world.

At GM, we’ve identified 10 jobs that will be critical to our plans to define and lead personal mobility:

1. Electrical engineers – to explore and develop electric vehicles
2. Analytics expert – to create algorithms to decipher how smart data can best help drivers
3. Interaction designers – to ensure information and technology within the car can be accessed safely and intuitively
4. Web programmer – to develop software that allows the next big thing to easily connect to the vehicle and its occupants
5. Autonomous driving engineer – to developed advanced sensor and radar systems to make these vehicles and those that follow a reality
6. Customer care experts – to connect with customers directly and close to instantaneously via social channels
7. Sustainability integration expert – to help us find ways of using less of everything to keep our planet green
8. 

   Industrial engineer

   – to challenge engineers to build complex vehicles in ways that are sustainable and efficient
9. 3D printing engineer – to help us innovate and build faster, often allowing us to have more affordable options to test
10.  Alternative propulsion engineer – to refine and develop new ways for cars to move

If you’re looking for a career that will challenge your intellect, reward your hard work and give you the opportunity to define the future of personal mobility, this list is a good place to start.