Can I Get a Job as a Futurist?

Abstract

The most frequently asked question I get in speaking with prospective foresight students is “can I get a job as a futurist?” I will make a case in this article that the lack of jobs and a career path in foresight is harming our long-term prospects as a field, and suggest a few things we can do about that. Three reasons are offered for why jobs are important to futurists: (1) Jobs are a way for us to influence organizations and the future, (2) jobs are a key consideration on the mind of those seeking to enter the field, and (3) jobs are a way to attract talent into the field. The current status of the job market for futurists is reviewed. The article concludes with five suggestions to improve the job prospects of futurists and, in turn, help build the field: (1) engage the jobs issue as a field, (2) build a profession, (3) develop a career ladder, (4) strengthen the academic base, and (5) promote the field. Preparing for our future is not a hobby, or a part-time job, but arguably the most important job that is drastically underfulfilled. The time is ripe for thinking about our own future as a field to achieve our common purpose of spreading foresight and doing our part to help make the world a better place.