Are You Robot-Proof?
Let’s face it. The way technology is moving it is not a hard one to figure out that you have the potential of being replaced by a machine of some kind. With the speed in which corporations have been downsizing and filling in ‘redundant’ positions with some form of automation, you could be next.
Or at least that’s the fear of many of the mature workers in the age bracket of 55+. But there is a way around the technology. There is a way to protect yourself, your career and your future from being replaced by a robot of some kind.
Before we take a closer look at what kinds of jobs will be essentially “robot proof” we need to see which ones aren’t. In the current economy jobs that are either being eliminated or replaced by some form of artificial intelligence include: administrative staff, manual workers and data processing jobs. When you think about the skills that have been built into today’s computers, it makes sense that some of these jobs are being replaced.
It won’t be long before the spectrum widens and takes along with it people working as tour guides, bakers, insurance sales agents, tax collectors, telemarketers, butchers, pharmacy technicians, accountants and clerks.
Some of these otherwise good career jobs are not being phased out or directly being replaced by a robot either. I know of a local bank that once had four tellers working to service staff at all times. The increasing popularity of online banking reduced that number. Now the same bank is down to a single teller working with many customers being encouraged to switch to online services including loans, mortgages and beyond.
Why would a robot be a better choice than you? Well, it has pretty much everything to do with the bottom line. A robot will cost less in the long run as it can be programmed to work as much as 24-hours a day. Humans just aren’t built for that kind of workout. Plus, a robot can perform the same task over and over and create the exact thing over and over again with no variation. In Japan the movement is underway with 1,520 robots per 10,000 employees working in automobile manufacturing plants. That compares to just 66 per 10,000 worldwide. China is starting to include more robots in their overall workforce as well.
But what kinds of jobs are robot-proof? Basically any job that requires human traits such as intuition, empathy and positions requiring social interaction. Top picks of robot-proof jobs so far include physicians, psychologists and those working in church ministry positions. Other good choices that will likely avoid the onslaught of artificial intelligence include heath care workers, police, detectives, teachers, social workers and artists.
Starting a small independent business is also a great way to “robot-proof” your future earnings. Just taking a quick look around this web site, you’ll find dozens of easy-to-start business, such as consulting, growing specialty crops, providing handyman services, importing, pet services, helping seniors, tutoring and window cleaning, to name just a few.
So if you are about to make a midlife career change from a position that you fear will be gone soon thanks to technology, there is a way to keep working into your 50s and beyond if you switch to a robot-proof line of work while you can.