Adjusting to the new world of careers

This is the third of three columns focused on postpandemic career strategies.

This column is about making educated guesses about changes in the world of work, while preparing for the possibilities they present. Here are a few of the most talked-about changes we might be expecting in the months and years that follow the re-opening of the economy.

Virtual meetings are here to stay. If this prediction comes true, it’s hard to over-state how much impact this would have on nearly every aspect of our economy and society. With more people meeting via webcam, we have fewer conferences and less catering; less air and ground travel; more open space in hotels, arenas and office buildings. Entire industries have spent decades building on the bedrock that is/ was the in-person meeting. Now they’ll have to adapt or risk collapse.

What this means to you. For starters, it’s probably obvious that you need to master virtual meeting technology. But taking things further – this phenomenon might shift careers away from the affected industries and toward something that will blossom in their place. That could be as obvious as working for a company that produces virtual meeting software and equipment. Or, it could mean work a little further downstream, perhaps as an entrepreneur making video backdrops or other accessories that support the new “meeting industry.”

College education will shift dramatically. Some are saying that the next year or two will demand more change from higher education than the past century or more. Some of the shifts have been in place for decades in for-profit schools, which have had to be more nimble to capture market share. Think: shorter semesters that allow more frequent starts throughout the year; perclass rather than per-semester pricing that accommodates the slower process used by working adults; access to online training, etc.

One reality that traditional colleges will face this fall is a shrinking of the incoming first-year class. With an entire generation of recent high school graduates contemplating a gap year so they can return later to a safer campus experience, colleges may be forced into adapting their model of delivering education.

What this means to you. Surprisingly, it could mean the possibility of a bargain if your school of choice will negotiate rates to ensure a strong class this fall. Looking down the road, it could mean a permanent change in the way college experiences are measured by employers. If enough twoand three-year students take a gap year in favor of working, companies will be choosing among a largerthan-usual candidate pool of non-degreed workers. At some point, employers may find themselves looking past the degree as a hiring criteria, in favor of demonstrated skill or aptitude.

Care centers and nursing homes may disappear. On the one hand, it’s hard to imagine this is the end of a housing and health care delivery model that has largely worked for decades. But it’s just as difficult to imagine any more 200-bed facilities where the residents are sitting ducks for whatever new disease may come along. Perhaps a more likely scenario is that these congregate living places will alter their models significantly, providing services in more pod-like units to fewer residents. If so, the cost of the service is likely to increase steeply to accommodate the loss in volume.

What this means to you. If your family includes older individuals who would normally transition into one of these facilities, you may find yourself seeking out home-based services and requesting eldercare benefits from your employer. If you work in a care center, you might expect increased wages as the proprietors try to not only retain you but induce you to give up other parttime jobs that create more risk as you travel between work sites.

Have you seen the pattern in this future-guessing game? There are literally hundreds of predictions one could make, along with the possible impact on jobs in general, or on your career in particular. Whether the topic is telemedicine, meat production, food distribution, video game development, homeoffice product design, or new areas of employment law and insurance liability, one thing is certain: There will be new jobs and businesses developing to meet new demands.

But there will also be closures and reductions in staff while employers transform themselves. Your challenge is to put yourself on the right side of history, to be part of the new opportunities that are coming. Whatever your work is, take a minute now to picture the field in five years. Are you ready?