​Is an Interstellar Career in Your Future?  

If you think you don’t have what it takes to work on Mars or the Moon, you’re probably wrong – particularly if you’re experienced in working remotely. Working in isolation relies on a strong focus on physical and mental health, alongside soft skills, including self-reflection, communication, and working in distant groups; these are the same skills that people heading off to explore and work on different planets will need. So, you may be more qualified than you think!

​

Now let’s look at your potential professional future on Mars, the Moon or wherever intrepid explorers and settlers take us in the next few decades.

Elon Musk, talking at the SXSW festival in 2013, said – “I'd like to die on Mars, just not on impact.” Musk’s name is linked with space engineering, driverless vehicles, and all kinds of technological innovation, but this doesn’t mean the jobs of the future will be completely disconnected to what we do today. Medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, nutritionists, and agricultural specialists will all be in demand as we need the know-how and skills to stay healthy everywhere. Some universities are already offering courses that combine traditional medicine with space sciences to expand knowledge on how the body reacts in space and on distant planets.

But we will need more than practical skills to thrive – communication will advance to a whole new level as we not only need to communicate with distant humans but with the smart machines that will become a huge part of our lives in the future. Who will lead who as artificial intelligence becomes more and more independent? Will we need AI psychologists, ethics specialists, and lawyers in the future? It’s certainly something to think about.

​

We are in the earliest days of space tourism, but this is also an industry that’s set to grow quickly. Space hospitality specialists, travel planners, and weightless activity coordinators may be just some of the professions that we see popping up in the next few years. We admit it. We don’t have a crystal ball, and we can only make educated guesses on what the future will hold. However, more and more often, we are receiving job requests that remind us that the future is already here – from drone operators to exoskeleton technicians. You may be a successful veterinarian, but who knows? In 10 years, you could be updating your CV to say ‘chief space farm health advisor’…

​

In the meantime, we are still here on good old planet Earth, and there are plenty of ways to rocket your career without heading into space. Explore our website for exciting opportunities in your specialism. Kelly is always here to support your career future… even if that takes you to a galaxy far, far away.