Want a job in the future? Learn some creative skills.

As we hurtle towards a more automated world there will be many a job and career that will slide into the abyss never to be seen again.

Put more bluntly - if a machine can do your job you're screwed.

Here's a piece in Fast Company magazine that covers 10 jobs in danger, some are quite unexpected.

Just look at self check-outs at supermarkets, you and a machine are doing the work - but the prices are not any lower so that's a big win for the supermarket but not for the people who used to do those jobs.

Machines don't need pensions, they don't go on strike, they don't complain, and they don't go on vacations so they are the dream employee of many a CEO with bottom-line dollar signs in their eyes.

But thankfully there are still some things the machines cannot do and according to many a learned scholar they are a long way from mastering them. Many of those things are creative.

An article last year in The Independent discussed jobs that, for the foreseeable future, will be future proof. One area is that of creative jobs in marketing, communications, and design. As the article states - 'Machines aren't great at critical thinking, or coming up with new and exciting ideas, so your creativity may well be future-proof. People who design for a living, or who work with ideas, words, and images will probably survive the increase in automation, because machines don't function like humans. Not yet, at least.'

Machines don't have emotions and creative thinking and actions require a good dose of human emotions.

Now, more than ever, creativity should be an important part of the education system. Teaching creative thinking skills will be invaluable for the next generation. But also those who are standing on a precipice starring at an uncertain career future could benefit from tweaking the right side of their grey matter.

Creative thinking is not only about art, music, design, and the like. Creative thinking is the perfect bedfellow of critical thinking. It's problem solving, idea generation, and more.

The human brain is like a muscle, the more you exercise it the better it gets. We were all born creative, research tells us that the mind of a child is the equivalent of a genius.

Parents should be encouraging more creative development in their children and maybe the parents themselves should be doing the same.

The education system should also be addressing this as should all Governments concerned about the future of their populations. The Singapore education system has already taken the lead on this, you can read about it here.

Now I am not saying 'everyone should be creative', but there will be a need and many more opportunities for people with creative and critical thinking skills and abilities in the future.

Robots can't write a great story, they can't craft a witty headline, they can't paint an awe inspiring portrait, they can write beautiful poetry or prose, they can't art direct a photo, they can't direct a film, they can't design a phenomenal piece of architecture, they cannot craft and create delectable food dishes, and they most certainly can't tell a good fart joke.

We're heading towards a creative future faster than the starship Enterprise at warp speed so there is no better time to boldly go where you and many others may never have gone before - to the creative side of your brain.

But now is the time to do something because the future is already upon us and it is not slowing down for anyone.

Rodd

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Words (aside from credited quotes) Copyright Rodd Chant 2019

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