Traditional Careers, Safe From Automation

There are some job roles that are as certain as death and taxes. People often refer to them as pillars of the community careers. But what are they?

• Landscaper
• Waiter
• Construction workers
• Maintenance

You can also add in butcher, baker and candlestick maker. Well, maybe not the last one. But they are jobs that can’t really be automated, and if they have been, consumers are now crying out for things to be handmade. A surge of potters, woodworkers and glassblowers has been seen in the last few years too. And modern-day machinery has made their job easier, sure they’ll need the best wood lathe possible, or the best blowpipe possible. There is no less skill involved just because there are tools to help.

Here is a look at some of the job roles that come under the more traditional umbrella.

Woodwork

Or a carpenter. While machines can put together almost anything in lightning speed. There is nothing so special and essential as something that was handmade over hours, days and weeks. Turning wood is as important as the heavy drilling and sawing. It isn’t just about more substantial pieces of furniture either, bowls, eating utensils, ornaments. Wood is incredibly versatile, and when looked after well – a piece can last for years.

“Whether made into a wooden pillow or table,

wood with excellent fine grain is a guarantee of splendid poems,

and the composition of perfect documents.”

~Liú Shèng 113 BC

Landscaper

Knowing how to work the land and turn it into something incredible is something unique. Looking at large and small plots of land, and seeing what it could be. There are different levels of qualifications, and then some who are naturally green-fingered and can make miracles in the soil. Horticulture draws a lot of its inspiration from around the globe, and from the past.

So, unless specified no to gardens or plots will ever look the same – such is the nature of nature. In general, there will be very little instant gratification, it usually comes season after season when things bloom.

Construction

Millions of houses and office buildings are commissioned every year, and the average consumer will also be looking to employ smaller construction companies for home improvement building projects. There is a skill that comes with being able to build something from the specs of a drawing to time how long cement will take to dry or even how to get the job done in tight timelines. It is pretty amazing to think that every single brick and mortar home has been hand-built by a range of people.

These jobs and more are the cornerstones of our society. When you walk down the street and admire flowers that are equally spaced to allow for their bloom, or when you walk into that majestic office building, you love so much. These career paths, through more traditional, are going to be required forever. Of course, everyone starts somewhere, so you’ll need to do some research into internships and classes, but you’ll likely never run the risk of being removed from your position by an automated machine.