What career/ industry do you believe will become more in demand in Australia in the coming years, and would be wise for a school graduate to study?
Also what career do you believe will become redundant in the coming years due to the way the worlds changing?
thanks for you opinions :)
The same could be said for pretty much any industry in Australia. I spoke to some Chinese investors recently and they were dismayed by how much everyone earns here. Paying $80 per hour for a carpenter? Back home they'd get someone out for $10. The only difference is the carpenter's job usually can't be outsourced. The programmer can.
Regarding Eastern Europe, the average income in Ukraine is under US$200 per month. Plenty of smart people there. Can you compete with US$200 per month?
Does Mark Zuckerberg know this? Why is he paying American software engineering graduates over $100k when he could get Vladimir from Ukraine to do it for much less?!
Do you know that Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc have many development centres outside of the US for a reason? Not all Facebook employees sit in the US and earn American wages. Having said that, top talent is 'expensive' everywhere. Top software engineers (often from the best colleges) in Singapore, Bangalore, Manila, Warsaw, Prague or Mexico City don't come too much cheaper than the US talent though they are still cheaper.
The Bargain Industry
Medicinal cannabis sales.
Big data/data analysis/data security
Have a read of this 2013 study assessing jobs for risk of automation (in the US, but probably similar across the first world) and assess your preferences:
http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/news/new-study-shows-nearly-ha…
Sorry, that study is now obsolete and has been replaced with robots.
doctors, solicitors and bankers.
Speach pathologist
Spelling coach.
Peach spathologist
Growing industry with Australia's growing proportion of old and old old patients. Lots of elderly patients require speech path input for swallowing and eating in acute, subacute and home settings
Growing demand
Lower demand
Government jobs will all get outsourced? I don't know about that.
a foreign Prime Minister, now that's a start.
The US did it with a foreign president for 8 years.
youtubers. Lots of young people want to be one.
till the realise how much work is involved
Instagram brand promoter.
Banking/ finance and accounting is probably not a place I would invest time into as financial services will get disrupted even more and you will see this reflected in news headlines in the coming years as bank restructure their processes as AI and big data and other data analytics come online. You'll see this affect back office processing staff and any involved in reporting and analysis role. In accounting we're seeing more products that are easier for regular people to use and less requirement for book keepers. Other facets affected are less staff is required to reconcile and audit accounts.
Industries that require human contact and high EQ. Though these tend to be viewed as female jobs and also tend to have lower salaries this section has exhibited the largest growth. These would include aged care workers, carers, nurses, counsellors and other health related work. The higher educated and niche roles do pay much better. Currently pharmacy and dentistry have been disrupted but not by tech but big market players affecting conditions. In these industries client still require and prefer human contact so will be much slower to be disrupted.
Cyber security, data science, statistics, machine learning and mathematics. These are all growth fields and command much more than regular ICT wages. Even if you're not in these fields if you have knowledge of it you can work in support roles or know which roles in an industry you need to avoid in the long run as the disruption caused by these guy roll through.
This is based on industry experience, a love of following disruption tends and also exposure to university student, I mentor students.
Immigration lawer
English teacher for Beach Bums.
Immigration? Or is it the fact that I used the word lawyer instead of solicitor?
Funnily enough a lot of solicitors even barristers advertise themselves as lawyers when marketing to the masses.
So it has entered the vernacular
Some Americanisms are going to make it past the English grammar Nazis
Get over it
Read your previous post again, lol
Look beyond the current energy 'crisis'. There will be a time when electricity is a very low component of business cost. That is going to be a game-changer, in ways we haven't begun to address.
It isn't anyways, highest business cost is always salaries
Spatial Science / Geographic Information Systems
Small field but growing like crazy, if you like geography and computers look into it!
Building and construction has lots of work for decades it seems. Rezoning by councils is ongoing, near train stations, state roads, etc.
Can't go wrong with a trade, apprenticeships are paying more than they used to.
If you're academic, project management or civil engineering can get you ahead, but experience is sort after too, work as you study.
Candle Maker if you live in SA
lol
Most of the jobs available in 10/15 years haven't been invented yet, so important to always upskill and keep alert of changing trends.
There is no definitive answer for the future
I think AI fields i.e., programming and other, would be still in demand.
I would recommend engineering with a preference to the more techy ones i.e. electrical or software. An engineering degree is excellent preparation for a wide array of jobs (most engineering graduates don't end up as actual engineers) and is good at teaching you how to think and how to examine new ideas and adapt to them - crucial in the next few decades I think.
"(most engineering graduates don't end up as actual engineers)"
Can confirm. Studied engineering and not working as an engineer. I still learned a lot of good skills that helped me get to where I am today.
mind if i ask what/where you're at today?
Studied mechanical engineering. Now working in finance (senior commercial analyst). Being great with numbers, having a strong business acumen, being able to tell a story with numbers and translate data into real world business improvements can make you go far. It's good money for easy work.
@Powershopz: Did you have any actual business/commerce related qualifications? ie; Commerce degree or something?
No. None at all :-D
I learned a long time ago that degrees don't have anywhere near as much weighting as experience, skills and professional networks. I love learning though and read a lot of professional and personal development books. I'm planning on doing a 6-12 month finance course next year to lead into an MBA.
Given a chance, would you still want to be an engineer or the job that you are doing right now?
I studied engineering, now in a role that deals with big data & automation. Skilling up into data science and learning more about business intelligence too.
It's a really exciting area to be in and it's only going to grow.
I'm contently done with engineering. People I chat to sometimes question "Why aren't you an engineer? You wasted all that time doing a degree you aren't using? Don't you regret it?". I don't see it as wasted time at all as I enjoyed my time at uni and learned a lot of skills that I can use in other roles (project management, logical thinking, statistics, planning and strategy, ethics and morale, problem solving, etc.).
If I had a time machine I'd probably go back and do Software engineering instead of mechanical as I feel that would of been an area I could of flourished in.
I actually dont have an issue with you not being an engineer. The things is being an engineer means a lot of stresses as well. Obviously every profession has their own kind of problems but Im really interested at the part where you said "good money for easy work".
Ditto, did engineering however now I run a marketing firm. Engineering is a very malleable discipline that can be applied to many aspects of life and employment.
Aged Care
Immigration
Commercial / International Law
I'm retired now, but if I was starting out I'd be getting into plastics. Great future in plastic. Tell your kids to get into plastic.
anything IT ie programming
anything health care (aged care) related
There are already too many people in IT here, competing with workers overseas who are delighted with $10 per hour.
Get into an industry that's difficult to outsource. The trades are one example. Aged care is another prime area for growth. We're not about to ship hundreds of thousands of nursing home patients off to India.
Cyber security cant be shipped overseas biggest growth area in the next 10 years
Cyber security is potentially a huge growth area in the future, especially if we continue the trend of connecting almost anything to the Internet. We'll never stop chasing security holes.
Cyber security is easy to shop overseas and happens all the time. Both Government and private sector regularly source their cyber work from oversees providers as expertise in this field is difficult to impossible to find in Australia and hence companies are used to going offshore with it, usually they have restrictions on which foreign countries they will use but they heavily use offshore providers. In today's world a Cyber profession can operate your environment just as easily locally or offshore and hence companies are using offshore SOC's or relying more heavily on the cloud providers SOC's.
Accounting is and always will be a demand. Graduates shouldn't have much trouble ever finding work.
Are you joking?
Accounting is thought to be one of the prime jobs to get annihilated by automation. Rule based and rote, it's in the crosshairs of deep learning. My guess is by 2020 you'll be seeing automated tax return offerings at the very least, working through the main money earners from there.
And if the tax man is smart, he'll be using automation too (gulp).
Accounting can never be automated. I have 20 bills in my pocket to be claimed for property depreciation. I wish Xero or Myob could take them out from my pocket, scan them, comprehend them and put them in the right columns while filing my tax returns. Even accountants take time to understand the complexity of some tax returns and how do you think machines would comprehend the stuff without human intervention? Not to say that automation isn't taking over in accounting. There are automated, cloud-based accounting platforms, better technology, etc but like medical field, accounting work involves a lot of human mind along with automation and technology.
Tell that to the plethora of graduates all fighting over the limited jobs. It will take you ages to be earning any serious coin doing accounting as well.
And why don't they decrease the number of accounting seats in universities? It's long due I guess.
Google "Single Touch Payroll".
Not when companies outsourcing bookkeeping to countries such as the Phillipines, eventually I will be out of a job within the next 10 years
brick laying due to vast construction happening across the country particularly melbourne
The days of brickies showing their cracks to the world will soon be over
where can i get one, dealing with bricklayers is a pain!
My advice dont study IT its a waste of time. Too many people un employed and not enough jobs
One of the greatest tragedies of this country is the lack of government investment into IT, so many great minds here, so many keen programmers and commitment to quality, but nope, too many throwbacks in government.
Social sciences i.e. social work
Anything that doesn't need a decent education or knowledge is what our country thrives on.
Advising people on how to invest considerable amounts of money. Currently it's a free service on OzBargain
Highest chance of being in demand job in the engineering branch besides software?
Software Engineer. The demand is not only here at home but also USA and Europe. Big US companies have regular hiring events in Australia. The salary package includes stock, hiring bonus, yearly bonus, will be beyond what you can get in Australia. Also the future is technology. Every technology requires software engineer skills.
Key things are to find something that:
-won't become redundant through improved technology: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/jobs-at-risk-of-being-rep…
-Is difficult to outsource
-Is difficult for a migrant to do.
I think a lot of people aren't taking into account this last factor. In an age of increasing globalisation, and with the Australian Government and business community hell bent on opening the immigration floodgates to the world, those with jobs that can be taken easily by migrants will suffer. We're already seeing this in fields like IT which have been flooded by 457s from India and elsewhere, who come with experience and are willing to work for peanuts.
It's also what makes me hesitant about recommending basic trades or things like nursing - yes there's going to be lots of demand, but there's also going to be lots of supply of brickies, carpenters, nurses, etc. from overseas crushing wages.
The Pet Industry.
Animals are increasingly becoming more and more integrated with the family, sometimes more than actual children, and their "parents" will spare no expense - medical, toys, clothing, foods/treats, pet retreats/walking/boarding, pet friendly places (cafe/accommodation). It just goes on and on
User experience design.
Data science.
Prostitution.
Math/Physics/Stats with some programming experiences
Eneloops
If you can sing, dance or play a musical instrument well, you'll never be out of a job. Unfortunately it's very much an 'on the road and traveler' lifestyle, so it's only suited to those who're dedicated to it.
Strippers
Xiaomi Robo vacuum dealers (that deliver on time)
80k car maker
Data Scientist. One of the hardest people to find and are in very high demand.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_science
Hands down hand modelling.
Interpreters and translators, especially for the courts and child services - look at census data for figures of people born overseas, but Aboriginal Australian languages also highly needed.
Anything to do with maintenance - technicians and system maintainers. Civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic etc. Roads and Rail infrastructure never seems to stop. I work in roads and the amount of technology that goes into motorways all requires upkeep (road sensors, electronic message and speed signs, overheight detectors, tunnel lighting, tolling, CCTV, Fire and Security, and then all the backend PLC's and Servers that run it all).
Registered Migration Agent….bring in all educated people and student visas to all the millions of RTOs here
We always need a prime Minister?
VR porn.
Possibly town planning with all the growth we are having, basically no chance of computers taking over this career either.
I still don't recommend as it's quite a hard job, albeit there are many harder jobs out there.
Computer science, software engineering, robotic engineering. Subjects like AI, robotics, neural networks, big data/data mining etc will be widespread in industries outside just IT/Tech.
AI is going to take over law, journalism, possibly some retail and other crazy areas you would never guess.
BioTech will also be big, and possibly Finance/Tech. Anything manufacturing will probably be replaced by above (robots, drones) and 3D printing or industrialised versions of it.
Materials science would also be an interesting field to get into, carbon nano tubes, graphite, and all other types of materials research.
Police/fire/ambulance/military will be drones/robots, so all above would still apply for those roles too.
Any kinds of service jobs would not pay very well including hospitality/food/restaurants, which may also be subject to robots in the kitchen - there's a fast food joint in the US I think which has robot-made burgers… Service industry will also get pwned by robots.
On a positive note, other than everyone being replaced by robots or involved in their design or servicing, property development and real estate may be a good area to get into :)
Property development, yes, real estate in general, I don't know about that. With services like "purple brick" where you can avoid paying commission to agents by not actually selling through an agent, I can't see why the average person selling their home would use an agent. I certainly don't plan on using one again as I feel like my agent did next to nothing and didn't give me value for money.
Cybersecurity
Study in the mental health sector.
Its a trump card that gets you off the hook for everything.
Honestly, I would avoid studying pharmacy. Currently the pharmacy sector is oversaturated and there aren't enough jobs for all graduates.
The governing body has passed on laws that restrict the supply of PBS approval numbers to pharmacies if they are within 1km of an existing pharmacy. This essentially means that if you open a new pharmacy that is near another, you won't get PBS subsidisation for your clients on medications, which significantly affects the appeal of your pharmacy. It also meant that pharmacies with PBS approval had their prices sky-rocketed overnight.
The government also cuts subsidisation to medications every 4 months or so via price disclosure. Subsidisation for some medications have dropped by nearly 95% over the past few years which significantly reduces revenue and profit margins and puts the little pharmacies at risk of being bought out by a bigger chain.
The wages are also not that high in some pharmacy groups. I've seen pizza delivery drivers get paid more than some of my pharmacist friends. At the rate pharmacy is progressing, it may become one sector that becomes more automated.
I've heard the same advice from my pharmacist friends: don't be a pharmacist.
I know a bunch of pharmacists in medical school. Was surprised to meet a pharmacist studying to be a RN the other day but I guess that's a strong indicator of where the job market is
It is a very strong indicator. Pharmacist has also been removed from the SOL list, I've seen a few friends get deported shortly after their internships had finished.
Everyone is dirty ( cleaning ) everyone eats ( food industry ) everyone shits ( waste and rubbish )
programmer rates are too high, why program games here when you can get great programmers from Eastern Europe\India\China for less than half price?