"What Is A Futurist? 12 Things To Know About The Coolest Job You Never Knew You Could Have"

Dec. 21, 2019 "What Is A Futurist? 12 Things To Know About The Coolest Job You Never Knew You Could Have": 

Today I found this article by Iman Hirari- Kia.

When you hear the word futurist, what comes to mind? You might think about those fortune teller stands at the fair — for $50, you can learn at what age you'll die, if you will ever find true love, and address any other deep-seated insecurities.

 But where fortune tellers will root their predictions in divine forces and mystical unexplained powers, futurists make their predictions based on stone cold facts. A futurist is a kind of consultant who makes predictions based on future trends they identify. Their point of view can even impact how companies design products or how communities run their outreach, which makes being a futurist officially one of the coolest jobs of all time.

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"When I was younger I didn’t know this job existed, so I often ask myself how I ended up with it," Ford’s in-house futurist, Sheryl Connelly, tells Bustle. "What I really wanted to do was be an artist. But when I look back I feel like it was divine intervention or that it was my destiny."

Futurists like Connelly spend their days recognizing trends, explaining why they're recognizing it, and suggests how the trend might make an impact on a global scale — so that brands can take advantage of that forward-thinking insight for their future products. Sound complex? I agree, which is why I was surprised to learn that it's a field that anyone can fall into — among other mind-blowing facts about this job. Here are 12 things all future futurists should know about this unconventional career path.

1. It Doesn't Require A Particular Degree

You don't need to study futurism in order to be a futurist. In fact, many students may not even realize that this job exists. Connelly made her way into futurism by accident— she began working at Ford's call center, answering the 1-800 line. "I studied finance in undergrad, I went to law school, I had an MBA," Connelly says. "I never thought I was preparing for a role of a futurist, and don’t think that’s the secret recipe so to speak, but for me — finance taught me the fundamentals, the MBA taught me how to apply strategy to the real world, and the law degree has been very helpful in terms of research."

But! If you *do* want to study it, there's now a program for that. "You can get a degree in futuring now — in Texas or Hawaii," Connelly says. "Anyone can do it: if you have discipline, and constantly ask how and why and where, and back it up with very well articulated point of view, then you’ll convince others." 

2. There's No Fortune Telling Involved

A common misconception is that futurism is all palm reading, tea leaf-ing, and tarot card interpreting — but this couldn't be further from the case. "To have the title of futurist is daunting, because people scoff and giggle," Connelly says. "They want to know where your crystal ball is, or what the winning lottery number will be. These are real frequent questions I receive!" In reality, futurism is about being able to back up your point with a very rational, well researched, persuasive argument. 

3. You Must Pay Close Attention To Trends

The key to being a futurist is identifying trends, being able to explain why they're important, as well as what the underlying drivers are and what the implications will be to the world at large. 

"Trends start to become a common vernacular in big businesses," Connelly says. "It helps us communicate more efficiently, because people from all different departments can refer to them." 

4. It Involves A Lot Of Reading

A futurist will spend the majority of their time collecting and analyzing information, in order to develop their unique vantage point. "I spend a lot of time reading," Connelly says. "You have to do the research to come up with your point of view, and then once you have that, the rest of your time is spent cascading and communicating it throughout the organization."

5. Your Work Will Have Global Implications

When you start thinking like a futurist, you can't help but apply your ideology to every train of thought that enters your mind. "As a futurist, I’m always asking people to step back and take another look," Connelly says. "It creates a much broader viewpoint: you no longer focus on just local effects, but you try to see the big picture. It’s all connected."

6. You Will Collaborate With A Lot Of People

Since trend reporting and referrals have become a shared commonality amongst different industries and professions, futurists will often work with many different people: from engineers and designers, to PR departments or CEOs. "An important step is collaborating and working individually with several teams," Connelly says. "Together, you'll look for ways to integrate your insights. What’s really critical is that you're constantly finding ways to bring people on board." 

7. Patience Is A Virtue

When you're predicting future trends and phenomenons, the truth is, you won't be able to see the immediate impact of your work — at least for some time. That's where patience comes in. "I always focus on some form of manifestation so that the work can make a difference," Connelly says. "But you won’t always know the ripple effect that you’ll have, so you’ll have to be patient."

8. You Can't Actually Predict The Future

Of course, futurists don't actually predict the future for a living. "As a futurist, my job is to remind people that no one can predict the future," Connelly says. "What I do is push back on the status quo and expect the unexpected. I consider the physical realities, the economic affect, etc." Instead, they take into account all possibilities and extremes, and try to prepare for a range of different outcomes. 

9. Your Work Can Impact The Way Products Are Designed

As Ford's in-house futurist, Connelly's work has impacted the company's product design by reminding them that a large portion of the population is aging. "There’s a big segment of the country that will soon be over the age of 60, and we need to start thinking about how we can service their needs," Connelly says. "When someone gets older they have delayed response time, impaired vision, and limited range of motion. My job is input this to designers and engineers, encouraging them to address the needs of an aging population before the fact, but to do it in a way that appeals to consumers that are both 16 or 61."

10. You'll Learn To Think Differently

Once you're a futurist, you'll begin questioning everything you do and it's impact on society — it's an unavoidable side effect of the job. "As you start to think this way, you apply it to every train of thought," Connelly says. "This is what a company would do, but how can I apply this to my family? Or to my community? Or even my kids? It's about sparking new ideas by constantly asking yourself 'If this, then what?'"

11. Most People Practice It & Don't Even Realize it

We are all futurists at heart and probably don't even know it! The reality is, most of us know that we can’t actually predict the future, but we still subconsciously try to do so everyday. "When you get married, you assume it’ll last a lifetime, and when you make an investment you assume it will pay off in the long run," Connelly says. "But what happens if those things don’t play out? That's where futurism kicks in."

Despite her thrilling, constantly-evolving career path, Connelly hopes to encourage anyone who might feel frustrated or lost in their current professional fields. "I do the orientation for new hires, and I know that there’s someone in the audience that feels the same way I did," Connelly says. "Thinking, 'I’m not sure I’m on the right path, how did I get here, where am I going?' I really believe things work out how they’re supposed to," And hey, if a futurist predicts that good things lie ahead — their vision is bound to become true.

https://www.bustle.com/p/what-is-a-futurist-12-things-to-know-about-the-coolest-job-you-never-knew-you-could-have-8899005


"What's a futurist?": Today I found this article by Melanie Radziki McManus:

People often think futurists are fortune-tellers who predict what's going to happen, but they're not. Far from it. A futurist is an educated individual who, after much research and analysis, makes projections about the future -- everything from shifting demographic patterns and new technologies to potential disease outbreaks and social conditions. Most projections made by futurists are about things that will occur in the next five to 50 years. It's easiest for futurists to make accurate projections involving demographics in the next half-century, while the hardest things to assess and project are health and social conditions a century out [source: Global Future Report].

Futurist thinking began around the years 1600 to 1800 -- the Age of Enlightenment. With publication of Isaac Newton's 1687 "Principia Mathematica," one of the most important works in both the science of physics and applied mathematics, people started to realize there was a lot of validity to reason, empiricism and science. But it wasn't until the 19th century that the term "futurist" was first documented in the English language in a work by George Stanley Faber, who was referring to Christian scriptural futurists [source: Oxford English Dictionary]. Futurists and futurism really got a kick-start in the early 20th century, with the advent of science fiction. In fact, many consider author H.G. Wells to be the first futurist of the modern era, with other sci-fi authors such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke deemed important early futurists [source: Acceleration Watch].

Today, futurism is a bona-fide career field. Colleges and universities are beginning to create courses and even degrees in futurism. But you don't need a specific degree to become one. Employers generally are satisfied if applicants have a bachelor's degree in any field; most talented, professional futurists come from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. But no matter the degree, it's imperative that anyone considering a career as a futurist is inquisitive, creative and a critical thinker who doesn't mind uncertainty. You also need to have the ability to imagine all sorts of unusual occurrences and situations, all within the context of solid research [source: Mullins].


Futurist Jobs

Think you'd make a good futurist? There are actually many different types of futurist jobs. You may find one working for governmental entities, non-profits or corporations. In the latter case, jobs are often with major marketing and advertising groups, and the positions are called marketing specialists, ideation specialists or directors of future research [sources: Chalupa, Kellogg Forum]. Futurists can also work independently as consultants. Groups as varied as Hallmark, IBM, British Telecom and the FBI all work with futurists [source: Glasner].

In the world of academia, futurists generally focus their efforts on social criticism. Professional futurists who work for companies, whether as consultants or paid staff, try to anticipate market changes and the public's mood to help their clients make prudent business plans. No matter the concentration of study, the job involves reading a wide variety of materials related to the subject matter, including media reports and information in statistical databases. It's also helpful to interview experts in the field, plus other futurists and even members of the public. Futurists also spend a great deal of time thinking, analyzing and strategizing -- for example, if "x" is the current reality, and "y" and "z" are the trends, what might the next logical consequences be? A talented futurist is able to recognize connections in myriad, scattered pieces of information [sources: Future Search, Mullins].

Because the field is still relatively new, and because futurists' job titles can vary widely, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't track futurist wages and employment rates. However, the governmental group estimates there are 500 to 1,000 professional futurists working in the U.S. today [source: Mullins]. In a sign of the profession's growth, numerous professional organizations are being created as well, such as the Association of Professional Futurists, the World Future Society and the World Future Council.

All of this is promising, as many see the rise of futurists as critical to our future. Why? While humans are more than capable of realizing the implications of our actions -- pollution, energy consumption and overpopulation, to name a few -- we've got a pretty dismal track record at doing what's best for society in the long run. Perhaps if more futurists are around, they'll help us better understand what we should be doing today to ensure a better tomorrow [source: Crawford].

Author's Note
Who doesn't like to imagine the future? As a person who grew up with "The Jetsons," one of my favorite potential future inventions was the in-home screen device that let you talk to someone and see them at the same time. Today, a mere 40 some years later, we can do that with Skype and FaceTime. Now if only I had Rosey, the robotic housekeeper ...


https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/future-tech/futurist.htm