1. Augmented reality architect
As wearable technology like Google Glass becomes more commonplace, our forays into the world of augmented reality will likely be a daily occurrence. It won’t be long until we need augmented reality architects to design the virtual worlds we’ll be accessing.
2. Telesurgeon
Medical procedures of the future will be performed by telesurgeons – medically-trained surgeons specialised in robotics – who will be able to operate on patients using robotic arms.
3. Remote drone pilot
The future looks like it may see a lot of drones – delivering goods, groceries and, of course, pizza. There will undoubtedly be a high demand for skilled pilots to fly the drones remotely.
4. Weather co-ordinator
The way things are going with the climate, we could be controlling the planet’s weather in future, deciding where it rains, which place receives snow and where the sun shines. Being a weather co-ordinator definitely has a lot more cool factor than being the weather guy on SABC 3.
5. Robot therapist
As robots play an increasingly significant role in our lives, our interactions with them will become more complex (an idea that movies such as Her explore). It’s predicted that people will start to use robot therapists or counsellors to determine what kind of robot is best suited to their family environment.
6. Dream specialist
Seen the movie Inception? Well, something like that could become true in future decades. There are already gadgets that tap into your brain to give you a better night’s sleep, and it seems that programming dreams might not be a far off reality. A dream specialist would be able to use EEG technology to tap into your brain and give you the dreams you request.
7. Artificial Intelligence programmer
The world of the near future is one in which Artificial Intelligence will be unavoidable. As the technology behind computers and gadgets with Artificial Intelligence gets more complex, highly specialised AI programming jobs will open up.
8. Avatar Designers
How would you like your virtual clone to go to meetings for you or stand in the queue at the bank? The future could see avatars making the jump from the computer world to the real one. When each of us has our own life-like avatar to replace us in real-world tasks we’d rather not do, we’ll have to enlist the help of avatar designers to create our virtual selves.
9. Memory manipulator
Could we be heading towards a time where we’ll have memories planted in our brains instead of having actual experiences – a concept reminiscent of The Matrix? Some predict that this wacky sci-fi idea could become real in our lifetimes. Similar to a dream specialist, a memory manipulator would tap into your brain and implant the memories you desire.
10. 3D Printing Engineers
3D printing is already here, but it’s thought that in the next few years this burgeoning technology will skyrocket, with a resulting boom in jobs for engineers with 3D skills to create the products and machines that might replace manufacturing.
