Cool Careers

Futurologist/Futurist – May also use horizon scanning or other techniques. You will analyse trends and guess what we will be doing in the future, or provide long-range planning and scenario development. Futurologists are found advsing on global trends, risk management and consumer market opportunities in industries such as psychology, computer science, anthropology, political science and sociology. Also known as Foresight Consultants, Road-mappers, Cultural Critics, Corporate Strategists, Policy Analysts. Similar skills can be found in Planners and Marketers.

Flood-risk Specialist – A flood-risk analyst carries out studies into the risk of flooding and prepares flood-risk mapping. They need to understand hydraulic modelling and hydrology and will probably have a civil engineering, water science or physical geography degree. Risk Analysts are to be found in many fields including Credit and Business.

Chief Security Officer – Many global companies engage a chief security officer, who works within a company to ensure the safety of both the company’s employees and their assets. They must be able to analyse future threats from all directions, be it terrorism or local unrest overseas, and they coordinate security at global offices. They need good contacts in law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They also play a key business role, analysing business decisions and their implications for the board and the CEO.

Climatologist – A climatologist studies long-term trends in the world’s climate. While meteorologists study what is likely to happen to the weather in the short term, climatolo gists may look at trends and patterns over millennia, as well as the natural or human factors that may cause climate change.

Medium/Psychic – A psychic or medium predicts what will happen in a person’s future through clairvoyance, aura reading and spirit communication. Institutions do offer psychic and medium training.

Tarot Reader – Tarot readers and tarot therapists use the tarot deck of cards to tell the future, and also, on occasion, to counsel or coach. Anyone can, in theory, set up as a self-employed tarot reader. You need to understand the meanings of the cards and to have some natural psychic abilities and sensitivity to people. There are an increasing number of companies offering web-based services.

* UNUSUALLY COOL

Cryonics Scientist -

Cryonics is the practice of preserving humans and animals after death for some undefined point in the future at which they might be able to be resuscitated. At present there are two institutes, in Arizona and in Michigan, which practise this on a large scale.

Volcanologist -

A volcanologist predicts whether or not a volcano is in danger of eruption in the future. Their skills can directly save lives. A PhD in geology is vital, since geology provides the knowledge of how volcanic materials react with air and water. Very few places offer volcanology as a study and it is a dangerous profession. You could get killed on the job by magma or volcanic flows. Similar skills may be used in areas such as ecology, geology, oceanography, glaciology and hydrology.

20 ways to leave a legacy

For the very future-orientated, it is possible to choose a career that will involve not looking into the future but, in some way, living on into the future. What do you want your legacy to be? Will it be a business or a product that will stand the test of time? Perhaps you want to leave a foundation or charitable organisation as your legacy. Maybe it will be a piece of art or even a policy that you have influenced.