I just did a simple exercise. I took a piece of paper and wrote down all the jobs that came to my mind in 3 minutes. I came up with 27.

I suggest you do the same. Time yourself;  3 min only. And don't cheat. When the time is up, stop writing even if more ideas pop up!

How many jobs did you come up with? If you got more than 27, my respects.

It sounds a silly exercise but there is a reason I am writing a post about it.

I was looking at my answers and I identified an interesting pattern:

1. First, I wrote down all the professions that are positively portrayed in the media e.g. doctors, lawyers, actors, etc
2. Then, I thought of all the jobs I come in contact with in everyday life e.g. shop keepers, plumbers, bus drivers, real estate agents, etc
3. In the end, when I was a bit stuck I started thinking about my friends/family and what jobs each of them is doing.

The point I want to make is that we are mainly influenced by:

• what we watch on TV, newspapers and magazines
• our everyday interactions
• what professions our friends & family do.

However, there are so many other interesting jobs out there that we are not aware of; especially the new ones that have been created due to technological and scientific advancements. And these are the ones with promising long-term prospects.

So, don't be satisfied with traditional practices and conventional wisdom. Try to explore the professions of the future.

And if you can list more than 27 jobs in 3 minutes, send me an email.

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