Your Future Job
What do you want to be when you grow up? Maybe you have a great answer already. Maybe you have three answers and cannot choose. Or maybe you have no idea yet — and that is completely fine! Here is something exciting: some of the jobs you might do have not been invented yet. And you might be the one who invents them.
Jobs That Did Not Exist Before
Twenty years ago, there was no job called app designer. No social media manager. No YouTube creator. No drone pilot for package delivery. No AI trainer — someone who teaches AI systems what is right and what is wrong. Those jobs did not exist because those tools did not exist. Someone invented the tools, and then new jobs grew up around them. That is going to keep happening. In the next twenty years, brand-new industries will appear, and they will need people to do jobs that nobody has thought of yet. One of those people could be you.
Your future job might not exist yet. But it will need the skills you are already building: curiosity, creativity, kindness, problem-solving, and the ability to learn new things fast.
Here are some real jobs from today that would have sounded like science fiction to a kid twenty years ago. Robot programmer: People who write the instructions that tell robots what to do in factories, hospitals, and homes. Climate scientist: People who study how the Earth's weather and temperature are changing and what we can do about it. Genetic counselor: People who help families understand their DNA and what health risks they might be able to prevent. Virtual reality designer: People who build entire worlds inside headsets for games, training, and art. Space tourism guide: A job that is only just starting — people who help everyday travelers go to space. Every single one of these jobs needs people who love learning, can solve problems, and care about making life better.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
What Makes a Job Right for You?
The best job for you is one that mixes what you love, what you are good at, and what the world needs. What do you love? The things that make you lose track of time. The things you would do even if nobody asked you to. What are you good at? The things that come a little more naturally to you — or that you want to work hard to get good at. What does the world need? The problems that need solving. The people who need help. The things that are not right yet. When those three things come together, that is where great work happens. And the great news is that you do not have to figure it all out right now. Trying different things — drawing, building, writing, coding, helping, playing — is how you find out what you love.
You do not need to pick a career today. What you need to do is try things. Say yes to new activities. Notice what makes you feel alive. That is how you find your path.
Why might your future job not exist yet?
What three things come together to make a great job for you?
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
My Dream Job Poster
Design a poster for a job you would love to have — it can be a real job today, a job you know is coming, or a completely made-up future job. Give your job a title, draw what a day might look like, and write two sentences explaining who your job helps and why it matters. Your job can be as creative as you want — the weirder and more futuristic, the better! Share your Dream Job Poster with someone and explain why you chose this work.