We’ve all heard the phrase “It’s either a lawyer, a doctor, or a failure” at some point in our lives. That was before technology and globalization rapidly took over the world. Now, in the Gen-Z world, those careers are so “last generation.” With things such as artificial intelligence, robots, and electric cars taking over our world, what will be the next hot thing in the working world?
Well, I got some of the most tech-savvy and up-to-date trendy teens to answer that question. And who knows, maybe you’ll find your future dream job listed below!
Jessica Q., a junior, says:
I think the new hot careers in the future will be one of the following: AI, data analyst, and/or computer engineer. Mostly because there are so many new technologies being developed these days, and many ideas coming from the new generation, such as robots, flying cars, sending people to space (Elon Musk vibes anyone?), and even haptic technology. So, as long as the technology field keeps developing, these three are probably going to become the new hot careers.
For me, as long as I am good at math or statistics, I would like to be professional at any of the three I mentioned. FYI, math and statistics are the basics of any technology-related career, so those skills will be crucial to the jobs. I think these careers are super beneficial to 21st century society, as to today’s emerging digitized life. Moreover, who wouldn’t like sending the first batch of people to Mars?
Daniel, a junior, says:
I’d say computer science, since you’ve seen the metaverse going on right now around the world. It’s a mind-blowing concept, but the corresponding technology of it is still not comprehensive or mature yet. Thus, these careers are needed to make sure the blueprint comes to life. Things that people are imagining will very likely be real in a decade, and I’m really looking forward to more inventions that maybe do not exist right now. Like maybe actual hover boards, or a robot to do all my chores.
I’m definitely interested in trying out careers in the computer science field. Although I am not currently studying any subject related to computer science, I still follow the latest news on technology and social science, aka trying to catch up with trends. You know what this era is, so it’s gonna be great.
Zoey X., a sophomore, says:
I think careers within the field of software engineering will be very popular in the future, especially for us Gen Zs, and maybe for Generation Alphas (born 2011-2025). Most people in society rely upon or have greater demands on technology nowadays. Even elementary kids need to have iPads for school (and that has only become a thing in the last two to three years). Another field I think might become popular is psychological counseling, because accompanied with the development of our society, an increase of social, peer, and/or family pressure can directly affect people’s mentality. Although we want society to continue to develop, we also need the people to have a healthy mental state so we don’t corrupt.
Personally, I’m more intent to explore psychological counseling. I think it’s quite interesting to solve people’s mental problems and to meet different personalities. Having a career in psychology is quite demanding, but I think it’ll be fascinating to solve problems and help the new generations to become healthier, both physically and mentally.
Jeffery L., a junior, says:
I personally think that psychological counseling will be a very popular profession in the future. This is because now emerging technology industries such as artificial intelligence have entered a bottleneck in their development, and we can see that some internet companies are making layoffs. As people’s life pressure increases, the number of psychological problems will also increase. As a result, the demand for psychological counseling is set to increase significantly in the future.
I think I will enjoy this new career a lot. I am quite good at communicating with people in general, and I enjoy being able to help people with their problems. Although it requires a lot of patience, I’m willing to see the younger ones in society become better. Moreover, I think increasing communication between us will stop society from isolation. So, I look forward to solving that problem.
Sophia H., a sophomore, says:
I think careers like doctor, bio engineering, biomedicine, computer technician, and economics-related careers will be the hot projected careers in the future. Basically, the ones that have a positive correlation with the development of high tech. In society right now, we see people with their phones or computers or smart watches 24/7. So, to keep up with our increasing pace, we need more people within these fields to develop more immersive technology, so our society can continue developing.
For me, I will enjoy careers related to medicine and economics because I’m personally interested in these fields as well. And I think it’s going to be amazing to see the development on the frontlines. It’s really interesting to develop groundbreaking medicines to help people, and I really believe that us Gen Zs can and will make a change in society.
Tony W., a junior, says:
I think careers within the field of psychology [will be the next big thing], because of the relatively large volume of pressure. So, we need to ease the pressure within society. Studies show that the population having psychological problems is starting to increase, especially within the younger generation (like teens and young adults). Psychological counseling is something that technology cannot do, as it advocates human communication. We need more face-to-face communication to ensure our society is in a healthy position.
However, I’m not currently interested in this field of study. Personally, I’m going to be mainly working in the economics field in the future because I am interested in the comparison of economics (which is still very important within our society). But I still think psychological careers are important.
XueFei Liu is an IBDP student studying at Beijing City International School who has an obsession with classic literature and is constantly trying to find the answer to life for herself and others.
This article appeared in the jingkids 2022 Graduation issue
