Will Photography Be One Of The 2 Billion Jobs Disappearing By 2030?

What if someone told you the job you were in today, or the job you were truly interested in training for right now, would disappear in your lifetime? Would that stop you from pursuing it?

That was the question that jumped out at me when I read a recent title, 2 Billion Jobs to Disappear by 2030.

Think about that for a moment. 2 billion jobs to disappear in 20 years. Considering there are 7 billion people on the planet, and many of them do not hold a “job”, what that is basically saying is 50 percent of all the jobs held today will disappear in less than 20 years. And I don’t doubt it one bit.

 

 

At a recent seminar I attended to help my daughter decide on direction at college, the speaker asked parents how many people held jobs today that weren’t in existence at the time they attended college. I held up my hand, along with around 10 percent of the audience.

Will that be even more of a trend in the future? Only time will tell. But with the rapid way our technology is changing, its easy to see how that can be the case.

As I read through the article, one thing became apparent.

If your job involves anything that can be handled by a computer, is repetitive in motion, and can easily be outsourced, it’s at risk.

If your job involves creativeness, big thinking or imagination, you’ll be more prepared for the road ahead. From where we go today, people will want things that:

  • Save time
  • Reduce costs
  • Do things faster
  • Make things easier
  • Improve safety
  • Improve reliability
  • Lesson the impact on the environment

Can photography fit into those scenarios? Definitely. But it may require going back to the drawing board and recreating your business.

According to Career Planner, the future of entertainment and content creation look very, very good. “Positions requiring a high level of creativity and originality should still be highly valued.”

How does that apply to photography?

The more creative you are with your business, the more likely you will find success within this industry. Which means it will be less and less about taking quick shots. And more about developing an experience around the final outcome of your work.

Do a search for wedding photographers. I’m willing to be 90 percent of them follow you around taking pictures and present them on a disk for you to select from (or keep and print yourself). What is the real reason we have weddings in the first place? It’s because of their highly social nature, and the goal of adding a story to our timelines. A few images may be important. But an album, digital or traditional, will help you remember it in a totally unique way. As a photographer, you understand why you take certain images; a client won’t understand that unless you put it together in storybook fashion.

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The images are the things that can be outsourced – as proven by many people relying on friends with their iPhones in today’s world.

But the creative director can turn it into an ultimate experience. It’s a way to remember in an extraordinary way.

The same can be applied to all other niches as well. Instead of a “snapshot” on a background – something that can be produced in any big box store for a fraction of the cost – you need to think about turning it into an event.

Think beyond photography. How can you add other elements to turn it into an experience? How can you use all tools – online and off – to add value to what consumers ultimately want?

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clientexperience@todaysgrowthconsultant.com' About Virtual Photography

We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!