Written by

Bernard Marr

Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity. He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations. He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.

Bernard’s latest books are ‘Future Skills’, ‘The Future Internet’, ‘Business Trends in Practice’ and ‘Generative AI in Practice’.

Generative AI Book Launch
View My Latest Books

Follow Me

Bernard Marr ist ein weltbekannter Futurist, Influencer und Vordenker in den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Technologie mit einer Leidenschaft für den Einsatz von Technologie zum Wohle der Menschheit. Er ist Bestsellerautor von 20 Büchern, schreibt eine regelmäßige Kolumne für Forbes und berät und coacht viele der weltweit bekanntesten Organisationen. Er hat über 2 Millionen Social-Media-Follower, 1 Million Newsletter-Abonnenten und wurde von LinkedIn als einer der Top-5-Business-Influencer der Welt und von Xing als Top Mind 2021 ausgezeichnet.

Bernards neueste Bücher sind ‘Künstliche Intelligenz im Unternehmen: Innovative Anwendungen in 50 Erfolgreichen Unternehmen’

View Latest Book

Follow Me

16 Amazing (And Super Popular) Jobs We Could Not Have Imagined At Y2K

2 July 2021

Do you remember what you were doing on Y2K? While it doesn’t seem all that long ago, our daily lives have dramatically changed. Facebook didn’t exist, the iPhone wouldn’t be announced until seven years later and nobody had a podcast.

If you transported your current self to the year 2000 and talked about a drone pilot or social media manager as a viable career, nobody would have any idea what you were talking about. Let’s take a look at 15 amazing jobs that would not have been imagined at Y2K.




Data scientist

One of today’s hottest careers is a data scientist (currently named the best job in America). The role of a data scientist today is to collect and interpret big data sets, responsibilities quite different from when the term “data science” originated in the 1960s.

 Virtual reality professional

This new field is exploding and will require programmers, hardware and software engineers, trainers, researchers, project managers and business owners to specialize in the space of virtualizing and augmenting our reality.

Social media influencer

Facebook was founded in 2004, Twitter in 2006 and Instagram in 2010, but today social media managers make a living from building strategies, executing advertising plans and more. The stars of social media—social media influencers—build their brands from the foundations of these social media platforms.

Drone pilot

It’s increasingly possible to get paid to fly a commercial drone aircraft, and a variety of industries now use them including the military, real estate, advertising and filmmaking. Areport released by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International predicts there will be more than 100,000 new jobs in unmanned aircraft by 2025.

YouTuber

Certainly, if you told people a decade ago that it was possible to achieve notoriety and earn a living on a YouTube channel, they would have no idea what you were talking about. Today, it’s possible to earn money as a vlogger (video blogger) through advertising revenue and social media management. Additionally, if you build a large enough fan base, there is additional revenue potential for appearances at conferences and other promotions. 

Video gamer / eSports star

Your 13-year-old’s aspiration to become a professional video game player is possible. The eSports market is growing rapidly and there are now 100s of gamers who are earning more than $100,000 in prize money, plus there are sponsorship deals and other revenue streams that successful gamers can get.

Mobile App Developer

There’s barely a hand that doesn’t have a smartphone attached to it these days, but it wasn’t until 2008 that the App Store was released and our smartphones started to populate with apps that help us find our way, get fit, manage time and more. The tech wizards behind the apps of pretty much any established tech, media or retail company are mobile app developers.

Data compliance officer

We now live in a world where most things leave a data train of some sort. Organisations are collecting, storing and processing more data than ever before but with the increasing use of data also comes the responsibility to keep this data safe and in compliance with laws and regulations. This area will continue to grow in importance.

Machine Learning Engineer

We’re in the midst of an artificial intelligence revolution and there are a number of careers that are now possible from AI chatbot copywriters to AI engineers.

Cloud architect

Today, more than half of U.S. businesses rely on the cloud IT model and there is high demand for experienced IT professionals to create and manage the front-end and back-end platforms, network and cloud computing strategy.

Automated driving engineers

Even though new technologies sometimes make existing jobs obsolete, they typically create new jobs. That’s the case with automated cars. As the field gains momentum, engineers, software developers and mechanics who can work on the new technology will be increasingly in demand.

Virtual assistant

Video conference, wireless internet and cloud computing made work-from-home days every day for virtual assistants. These individuals perform admin tasks for executives and other professionals remotely.

IoT architect

As our every-day things are becoming smarter and we are connecting more objects to the internet – from cars, to fridges and from watches to contact lenses – the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming an increasingly important part of our organizations. Companies need someone to spearhead and oversee the IoT needs and be sure investments in technology are on track to keep them competitive. That person is the IoT architect.

Sustainability expert

Whether it’s to be a good corporate citizen or to cut costs, some companies are understanding the benefits of going green and hire a sustainability expert to determine ways to improve productivity while lowering the carbon footprint of their efforts.

Chief Listening Officer

Understanding and connecting with customers and prospects has never been easier. CLOs monitor what customers, consumers and others are saying about a company’s brand and products across social media and the wider web of digital platforms.

Millennial generational expert

Companies in every industry need to figure out how to recruit, attract and train the next generation to take over and prepare them to be future executives. Companies rely on millennial generational experts to help them connect and update their culture to attract today’s younger employees.

Business Trends In Practice | Bernard Marr
Business Trends In Practice | Bernard Marr

Related Articles

What HR Functions Can Companies Automate With AI?

HR teams have moved beyond administrative and personnel-focused duties and are[...]

The True Value Of Data And AI In Human Resources

As we venture deeper into the digital era, the scope and possibilities of data and artificial[...]

The 10 Most In-Demand Skills In 2024

In my book Future Skills: The 20 skills and competencies everyone needs to succeed in a digital world, I look at the skills everyone will need over the next 5-10 years.[...]

The Top 5 Tech Trends In 2024 Everyone Must Be Ready For

Once again, we’ve reached the time of year when we look ahead at what technology has in store for us in 2024.[...]

The Amazing Ways Coca-Cola Uses Generative AI In Art And Advertising

Some say that in the very near future, we’ll need to either adopt artificial intelligence (AI) or be made redundant by it – or by others using it.[...]

The 5 Biggest Risks of Generative AI: Steering the Behemoth Responsibly

In our contemporary world, the pressures of the professional sphere often encroach upon our personal space, giving rise to stress and an overwhelming sense of dread.[...]

Sign up to Stay in Touch!

Bernard Marr is a world-renowned futurist, influencer and thought leader in the fields of business and technology, with a passion for using technology for the good of humanity.

He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and coaches many of the world’s best-known organisations.

He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.

Bernard’s latest book is ‘Generative AI in Practice’.

Sign Up Today

Social Media

0
Followers
0
Followers
0
Followers
0
Subscribers
0
Followers
0
Subscribers
0
Yearly Views
0
Readers

Podcasts

View Podcasts