Futurist career

Dec. 24, 2019 Futurist:

It’s impossible to see into the future, but it’s not impossible to forecast what will happen. Think back to your past. How was the world different? Could you have forecasted any of the changes that now affect your life on a daily basis? That’s what a futurist does.

Futurists are social scientists that forecast what may happen in the future. It sounds like a job out of a science-fiction movie, but it’s very real. Futurists study the future so that they can advise businesses and individuals about potential scenarios, trends, and opportunities. The goal is to set companies up for success by preparing for the changes that could be coming.

There are many skeptics when it comes to future studies, but it is an important job. 

Consider how the world will change when drones, driverless cars, space travel, robots, automated homes, 3D printing, and other technologies becomes mainstream? 

How will the world prepare for global warming, nuclear war, increased poverty, or virus outbreaks?

 If we aren’t ready for these things, the future will be interesting.

Futurists don’t have super powers where they can tell what will happen in a year or a decade. Instead they forecast the future based on in-depth research on technology changes, social trends, environmental issues, politics, and global issues. They are kind of like economists, except with a future-focused, broader view of the world.

It’s important to note that futurists don’t predict the future. They look at what is possible, probable, and preferable plus they factor in any wild cards. Before they can forecast the future, a futurist must understand the present. Futurists travel the world, meet with businesses, crowd source information, follow the news, study the outliers, and research data, so that they can formulate “what if” scenarios.

There’s a constant factor of uncertainty in their job, but futurists consistently make fairly accurate educated guesses as to what might happen next year or a decade from now. It’s kind of like forecasting the weather.

No one wants to be blindsided by the unexpected. People and businesses rely on futurists so that they understand and are prepared for what comes next. This helps employers make decisions, solve problems, invest wisely, adapt to changes, and identify potential.

Most futurists have a university level degree in a subject like history, economics, or future studies. There are some schools, like the Hawaii Research Center For Future Studies at the University of Hawaii that offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in future studies. But you don’t have to have a futures studies degree to be a futurist.

There’s no defined career path for this cool job. You can literally have a background in practically anything. Some futurists are self-taught or have worked under a mentor. The one common theme is that almost all professional futurists are members of the Association Of Professional Futurists and the World Future Society. These professional organizations were established a few decades ago to bring legitimacy to this unique profession.

Futurists can find jobs with big businesses, governments, non-profits, educational organizations, think tanks, or consultancies. Employers like Intel, Procter & Gamble, or the National Intelligence Council all employ futurists. It’s an important role that can help companies find success.

Currently, there are about 1,000 futurists working in the United States. Those futurists make between $33,000 and $111,000 per year with an average salary of $83,000 per year.

What does the future hold? No one really knows, but ask a futurist. They probably have a very good guess. If you’re intrigued by the future, find a job as a futurist. You won’t look back.

Quick Facts About Futurist Jobs

Job Title: Futurists aka Futurologists
Office: The World
Description: Forecast the future
Certifications/Education: Degree in Future Studies, APF Membership
Necessary Skills: Analytical Research, Forecasting
Potential Employers: Businesses, Governments, Consultancies, Think Tanks
Pay: $33,000 and $111,000 per year

Helpful Futurist Employment Links:

• Search Futurist Jobs on JobMonkey
• BLS: You’re A What: Futurist
• Institute For The Future
• Association Of Professional Futurists
• World Future Society
• Futurist.com
• National Intelligence Council
• World Futures Studies Federation
• Journal of Future Studies
• Wikipedia: Future Studies

https://www.jobmonkey.com/uniquejobs3/futurist/

Association Of Professional Futurists:

ARE YOU A FUTURIST?

Join APF to Advance Your Impact

The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) recognizes the competencies of futurists and enhances their professional development. As trend analysts, keynote speakers, project managers or expert consultants, APF's credentialed members help stakeholders cultivate strategic foresight on the horizons they face. If you are a practicing futurist find out how you can join us at Apply Online.  

• Connect to other futurists around the world
• Exchange ideas and share experiences 
• Enhance your professional practice

WANT TO HIRE A FUTURIST?

Learn More About Our Members

Learn how a futurist can expand your team's horizons by visiting our FAQ. Then join our mailing list as a non-member to stay abreast of our activities by clicking Subscribe. Search our Member Directory to find a professional futurist in your sector or region. Or as an employer, post a contract job for a futurist or post a RFP for a professional services firm to our APF Career Center. 

MOTTO

"We Work the Future"

Vision

The vision of APF is to enable the global community of credentialed futurists to support each other, to elevate their work, and to promote their professional excellence to advance the practice of strategic foresight.

Mission

The mission of APF is to advance professional foresight by helping futurists promote their unique value, build their professional networks, and showcase their professional excellence. It does this by:

• leading international discussion about professional futures practice,
• encouraging the use of futures and foresight in strategic decision making,
• offering services, resources and training for foresight professionals to advance their skills and knowledge, and
• providing an avenue for end users to connect with APF members able to deliver futures-based services.

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Students and the APF

APF extends its benefits to university students who aspire to become professional futurists in the three years following their graduation. Beyond Student Membership, APF offers an annual Student Recognition Program to introduce students to its professional members, and an Emerging Fellows program, to raise their visibility and their career opportunities. 

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Overview of Strategic Plan

The global APF Board held its third planning workshop January 2017 in Reston, Virginia to create an adaptive plan for 2017 - 2019. Three strategic priorities emerged out of this review of our business model.

• Thinking beyond traditional membership to shape more inclusive stakeholder relationships
• Strengthen APF's reputation and brand through greater focus on the beneficial impact of professional foresight.
• Nurture a network-wide commitment to effective coordination through capacity building.

To enact these priorities, the Board called its members to work toward three strategic initiatives

• Design a simpler stakeholder/voluntary contributor experience
• Adopt a robust technology platform for co-creating value with stakeholders
• Discover stakeholder insights into their problem, needs and opportunities through a learning outreach.

In 2018 APF laid the foundation to launch an APF Academy and migrate to a new Association Membership platform, that it has rolled out in 2019 to empower better volunteer contributions and enable members to form bottom-up Networks or special interest groups.

In 2017, APF looked back to its 2014-2016 plan, to find much of it completed. In those three years, the APF grew in size and vitality as a global community, bolstered its brand and online presence, and expanded gatherings to four continents. In specific, the 2014 - 2016 Plan called for:

• the need to expand membership, add value offered to members, and strengthen the member community,
• recognition and relevance of the field externally and professionalization of the field, and
• cultivate APF leadership, financing, website and general operations.

While the 2014-2016 plan focused on establishing a vibrant community and robust organization, it extended the model for a more global and diverse membership while strengthening applied foresight practices.Core values were identified as: Collaboration, Professionalism, Collegiality, Innovation, and Inclusion.

The APF Board will meet again in 2020 for a planning workshop to revisit its strategic priorities and initiatives. In preparation for that, members will be polled in surveys and focus groups. 

Questions?

Contact our Board Chair if you have questions about APF's strategic direction.

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Objectives

• Digital APF: Develop a dynamic online presence across platforms that serves members, the organization, and the public.
• Global APF: Broaden membership and perception of APF as a global and diverse organization.
• Global Gatherings: Generate greater opportunities for face-to-face sharing of knowledge and outreach.
• APF Value: Build a strong APF with effective leadership and organizational practices that ensures members can practice at a high professional level and be recognized leaders in futures and foresight work.
• APF Connections: Extend APF’s public presence through external outreach, connections, and public information.

https://www.apf.org/