As a student, I remember being asked what profession I wished to take up as an adult. Among indistinct cries of ‘doctor’, ‘engineer’, and ‘teacher’, I wanted to be an astronaut. Little did I know that I would grow up to love writing more than donning a space suit. However, let me draw your attention to how some of the popular jobs that exist today didn’t exist back when we were in school. Who would have thought you could make money by getting a million followers on Instagram? I didn’t, until it happened. As humankind makes more and more breakthroughs in the field of science and technology, some jobs become obsolete while new ones are generated. Here is a list of career options that did not exist 15 years ago.
1. Blogger
The word blog has its origin in ‘web log’, a term used to refer to the online journals that people used to keep. Their popularity increased after entrepreneurs realized the marketing potential associated with having a blog. Whether you write out of passion or to promote the home business you run, a blog gets you an online audience. Depending on the frequency of posts and the quality of the content shared, you garner advertisers who pay good money to be featured on your page. Or you could be a professional blogger tackling diverse topics for numerous companies.
2. Vlogger/Youtube Content Creator
A vlog is a video blog. A normal blog may have different types of content such as write-ups, pictures, and videos. However, a vlog contains only video content. All you need is a videocamera to start recording events, which can be anything from you pranking a friend to a trip to the grocery store.
3. Social Media Manager
Social media is a relatively recent phenomenon. Who would have guessed that developing and managing content for social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest would actually be regular jobs!
4. SEO Specialist
An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialist’s job is to make sure that the company’s web content is original and trending, and have all the right keywords so that search engines such as Google and Bling choose your content to display to users. This is vital to the process of building a regular audience, especially if you’re a blogger or a vlogger.
5. Sustainability Expert
With the threat of global warming become increasingly serious after every year, corporates choose to adopt sustainable practices to look good in public eye. And whom do they consult to lower the carbon footprints of their business? A Sustainability Expert! All you need is a degree in Environmental Science to land one of these sought-after jobs.
6. App Developer/Designer
Many of us would vividly remember the ancient Nokia 1100. Calling, texting, and maybe playing the ‘Snake’ game on it was all that it was good for. Can we say the same about all the smartphones trending in the market now? Apps, with the help of high-speed internet access on mobile phones, have made it possible for us to book flight tickets, make bank transactions, or keep track of work projects. Thus, the job for an app developer or an app designer was born!
7. Food Stylist
Food styling is an art they don’t teach you in high school. It involves arranging and presenting food so that it looks visually appealing, especially when it has to be photographed. The pictures of food that you see in magazines, advertisements, food blogs, menus, and cook books did not just happen to look that tempting; they were styled by an expert.
8. Chief Listening Officer
Although similar to the position of a social media manager where you would have to keep up with the trends on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, being a Chief Listening Officer would also have you meeting clients to get feedback about products and services.
9. Personal Shopper
Has shopping always been the only thing you’re particularly passionate about and good at? Worry not, the millennials have made a job out of assisting other people to shop. It involves giving them fashion advice and personally going shopping with them to help them pick out the right kind of outfits. If that doesn’t interest you, this will: You’ll be your own boss and you get to quote your price and get paid by the hour depending on how popular you are.
10. Netflix Tagger
Netflix is an international entertainment company that streams videos such as television series and movies based on popular online demand. They hire people for the post of ‘Netflix Tagger’ and your only job would be to watch what they stream and tag it. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
Editor’s note:
Our grandparents would have been unable to imagine the number and scope of jobs that exist today. Check out these jobs that are no more: Think About These Once-Popular Jobs Made Obsolete By Technology. Is Yours Safe?
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