For generations workers expected to have a “job for life” where they went into a trade or business and worked there for their entire career. For many, there was the opportunity to work towards promotion, or to take up a position at a different company or institution, but that was generally a matter of personal choice rather than being due to fluctuations in the labor market. Things changed rapidly at the end of the twentieth century, and soon the job for life concept was consigned to the history books. Now the 21st century is well into its stride, is there any such thing as a job for life anymore?
Healthcare
Even with technological advancements in AI and medical equipment, it will be decades before doctors, and other healthcare professionals, are likely to be replaced, even to a peripheral degree. Medicine is well-known as being a high-pressure career, so being a doctor or nurse is still thought of as being a calling rather than a career choice. However, there are plenty of other careers that have more of a background function in healthcare facilities. Good examples are technical roles in departments such as genetics, medical physics, and phlebotomy. You need degree level qualifications to pursue a career in these specialisms, and you can find out about earnings potential at salarieshub.com. Medical jobs can be immensely rewarding, and as long as people need medical care, there is likely to be a requirement for healthcare professionals for the foreseeable future.
Teaching
Very much one of the traditional jobs for life, and while people continue to reproduce, children will be in need of education. The profession has experienced problems with retention, but this is more as a consequence of the effects of stress on staff rather than a diminishing requirement for teachers. Tutors and lecturers in further and higher education very often remain at their institutions for many years, finding a satisfying balance between teaching and their research and tenure obligations. Another degree level career, although there are alternative ways of getting into lecturing if you are a recognized expert in your field.
Social care
While populations continue to age, there will always be a requirement for care facilities and home carers. In fact, in the USA the number of people aged over 80 is predicted to increase to unprecedented levels as life expectancy grows ever higher. The demand for carers will follow suit, and it’s a job that requires few qualifications to get started in at ground level. As the business of caring grows, so does the investment in training for staff, and in well-run facilities, there are opportunities to work towards vocational qualifications. The profile of caring as a career choice is also likely to improve as the market expands, so should become a more attractive proposition.
There may not be jobs for life in the traditional sense, but there are still sectors in society that can offer a long-term future for those who want to avoid the job change escalator and devote themselves to building the career they want in a place that provides familiarity and security.