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Strategically Speaking: Be proactive! Plan for your 2020 career now

 
Published July 30, 2015

Are you proactive about your career? 2020 is less than five years down the road, and experts predict many of the jobs that will be "hot" then don't exist today. The ones that do will require new and expanded skills.

Are you in high school planning to go to college? Are you a college student without a major? Are you getting out of the military and planning your future? Now is the time to plan the courses you need to take to for jobs in 2020. Now is the time to be proactive.

Proactive people are doers, planners and dreamers who see their dreams come true. They make things happen rather than reacting to them after they have happened.

Some 2020 "hot" jobs

So what will these "hot" jobs be and how can you begin to be proactive? Engineering is the new liberal arts degree, according to engineeringstrategynews.com. All engineering degrees will be worthwhile with special emphasis on petroleum engineering (new sources of fuels) and civil engineering (infrastructure upgrading and new building techniques).

Majoring in math is another option. Math majors have critical thinking skills and are good problem solvers. See tbtim.es/mathmajor for more information.

Consider pharmaceutical science, business administration, accounting and of course the health fields. As we live longer, and as businesses become more global and diverse, these majors will give you the skills you need.

Jobs for non-STEM majors

What if STEM isn't your cup of tea? Consider a split degree or a minor that includes carefully selected STEM courses. Examples: English and journalism majors can take biology, science or technology courses leading to well-paying biomed, scientific and tech writing positions.

Psychology majors should consider gerontology courses and specializing in elder counseling and care. Foreign language majors can take courses in geography, anthropology and foreign cultures. Excellent careers for these folks include jobs in Foreign Service, translating, journalist-foreign correspondent and marketing for corporate foreign business. Speech and communication majors should sign up for sign language courses, which can lead to careers in the corporate communications, medical, gerontology, psychology and teaching fields.

Skills you will need

What skills will be at a premium in 2020? Emily Bonnie blogs at tbtim.es/2020 and lists several. Among them:

Sensemaking: Understanding the significance of situations.

Cross-cultural competency: Ability to work well as part of a cross-cultural team.

Novel and adaptive thinking: Creative solutions to problems.

New media literacy and virtual teams: Put your social media skills to work by communicating clearly using visual media and working with others virtually.

Marie R. Stempinski is president and founder of Strategic Communication in St. Petersburg. She specializes in public relations, marketing, business development and coaching people older than 50 who are looking for "encore jobs or lives." Contact her at sstratcomm@cs.com and through her website, mariestratcomm.com.