Will people aged 40 and above still can find decent jobs?

A casual chat with a friend aged 40 and above struck me hard when she said age does play a role in determining a person can still look for new job. 

Her recent cases where she no longer has better opportunity or responses like when she was young when trying to enquire for new jobs or pay-per-project. The limiting factor is her age despite having vast experience under her belt. 

Probably with more experience, employers are worried or not so keen in paying more for the experience although it could mean that the jobs can be done better and faster. Or probably the younger employees are having better grasp in what experienced workers can do, thanks to the technology that speeds up their learning process. 

Where do people aged 40 and above can go then? 

With the inflation and longer life span, most of the people are left with no choice but to continue working as long as possible to make ends meet. 

For those who are climbing the career leader, many might think that they will continue going up, but the fact is there is always risk of them being replaced by younger people. 

The rapid development of internet- artificial intelligence, 5G network, virtual space. A lot of jobs will also be replaced by technology which reduces the costs significantly but increase productivity tremendously.  

According to Yuval Noah Harari's 21st century lesson book, writers, taxi drivers, teachers, surgeons and musicians will be replaced by AI in future. It is just the matter on how the policy makers are delaying the possibilities. 

Upskilling with the IoT? 

Upskilling and reskilling are the words mostly mentioned during the Covid-19 pandemic when many people were out of jobs as industries, they were in stagnant following the two-year long movement restriction order. 

Even AirAsia, supposedly concentrating on aviation, hospitality and insurance, has also set up an academy focusing on IT-related courses. 

Many learning spaces, studio, gymnasium pop out to offer platforms for people to get things done virtually. 

Like I mentioned earlier, with AI is the core development in future, upskilling in this IoT is seen as a value-added for anyone who would like to continue be relevant in the workforce. 

Other alternatives to stay relevant and earn income.

The probability of AI "taking over" the world and be more superior than human beings is almost 100 per cent. 

There will be time that human beings will be deemed "as significant as ants". They live but AI would do the decision making, the hard labor. But, according to Yuval Noah Harari's 21st century lesson book, there are few jobs that cannot be replaced by AI- babysitting, nurturing the old people. 

With the worsening climate change, growing human population and food scarcity, investing or venturing into agriculture and breeding would also be an ideal choice of career before AI takes over the world.