When my children were growing up, I learned that it was a mistake to weigh in on their choice of future occupation. Generally speaking, it is useless to try to influence one’s offspring during adolescence because this invariably causes them to do exactly the opposite. So, it is better just to listen and not to interfere. In the end, they will eventually have to figure things out for themselves anyway.
Moreover, without a crystal ball or the gift of clairvoyance, it is difficult to advise anyone about what to do with his/her life. The employment needs of the future are unpredictable. Times change and the labor market evolves. As reflected throughout History, job profiles are context-dependent. What is essential work in one century may be regarded as totally irrelevant in the next.
For example, in the 15th century, there was a great demand for herb strewers, who would spread basil, lavender, chamomile, and roses throughout noble residences to mask the stench of unwashed bodies. A green thumb combined with a small parcel of land gave one the possibility of visiting castles and hobnobbing with the nobility.
During the reign of Henry VIII (and until 1901), the Groom of the Stool monitored and assisted the King’s bowel movements. For various centuries, this was a very well paid position and highly coveted since the Groom had direct access to the King and his conversation during one of his most private moments.
Up until the 19th century, one could further medical research and get rich at the same time by being a resurrectionist (body snatcher). These enterprising individuals provided medical schools with cadavers to dissect. Resurrectionism was a very lucrative profession since a corpse in reasonably good condition could be sold for £9-£11.
During the Industrial Revolution (and even until 1970), another up-and-coming profession was that of knocker-up (not what you are thinking). This person worked as sort of human alarm clock and was hired to wake clients up each morning by knocking on their doors and windows with long pole.
Those with a penchant for literature could work as a lector in a factory. This 19th-century job involved reading newspapers and serialized novels to factory workers so they would not get bored on the assembly line.
In the 20th century, high-tech professions included professional listeners to detect the sound of enemy aircraft, switchboard operators for telephone calls, and human computers, who performed complex calculations. When radar and the Digital Era, eliminated their jobs, these employees either had to retire or learn new skills.
Now, in Times of Coronavirus we are experiencing another game-changing moment in the labor market. The pandemic has caused many jobs to disappear. Autoworkers, hotel staff, travel agents, and airline employees (inter alia) are out of work. Whether this loss is temporary or permanent is still to be determined. Those who eventually return to their jobs will have to adapt to the brave new world. Those who cannot will have to recycle and find another occupation.
Although we mostly hear about the jobs that have disappeared in the pandemic, incredible as it may seem, Covid-19 has also generated a number of new profiles, which may be the jobs of the future. Most of these roles have been created to keep employees and customers safe from contagion.
Evidently, there is now a market for Covid-19 testers who conduct swab tests at hospitals, nursing homes, factories, and offices. Amazon, for example, even has plans to hire its own lab technicians for this purpose. Since these tests will soon be a part of our life, a lot of people are needed to administer them.
Another rising profession is that of thermal screener. In the new pandemic era, airports, stadiums, restaurants, companies, and schools will be hiring people whose job is to check the temperatures of those wishing to enter. All one has to do is learn how to point a temperature detector at foreheads and act accordingly.
In Covid-19 times, keeping people at the right distance from each other is imperative. Since the police cannot control everyone, cities are currently hiring social-distancing monitors, whose job is to remind people that they should not get too close to each other in public areas, such as town squares, boardwalks, and beaches.
Social distance can also be imposed by barriers. Thanks to the virus, Plexiglass has now become the new gold. For jobseekers who are more into engineering and construction, there is currently a huge market for plastic screen manufacturers and installers. Offices, restaurants, and schools need to install Plexiglas shields and dividers if they want to safely accept students, workers and customers.
Those who have always admired Sherlock Holmes and wish to engage in detective work (but without risk) can become contact tracers. This job involves calling people who might have contracted the virus to provide tips and try to arrange testing. This work requires perseverance, patience, and an empathy level superior to that of many of our current world leaders.
The computer screen is also now where the action is. Conferences, medical consultations, and social gatherings are being held online. A socially-oriented person with people skills and a bit of computer expertise can thus become a Zoom manager who organizes and facilitates online meetings and events. This would be an excellent recycling area for out-of-work wedding planners.
Masks have also become a source of jobs. The fashion world currently predicts that people could be wearing masks for years (at least those who view masks as an act of politeness and consideration). Companies will probably ask employees to wear logo-branded masks. Fashion designers will also create masks to go with everything from casual dresses to wedding gowns. Face mask designers and sewers are urgently needed.
For those whose vocation is to be a superhero, there is a great demand for decontamination technicians, who can enter large areas and zap villainous bacteria and germs everywhere. The object of disinfection can be entire buildings and surfaces, or individual objects such as clothing, musical instruments, and hairbrushes. Such objects may also include N95 masks in places where hospital workers are forced to reuse protective equipment.
Needless to say, so much cleaning and disinfecting also means that great quantities of hazardous waste must be disposed of. Consequently, waste managers are also in great demand.
At first glance, some of these occupations might not sound particularly alluring, but it is only a question of time. One only has to recall the example of the Groom of the Stool in the times of Henry VIII. Over the centuries, wiping the royal backside and washing out his personal commode became a job that nobles would kill for. The prestige attached to this job lasted for various centuries.
