Late bloomers refer to people who succeeded later in their lives. Usually, we attribute success to those who started early right after graduation. But studies, surveys and real-life examples showed that you can succeed even later in life. Whether you’re a college drop-out or a failure in your career, you can still bloom and enjoy the fruits of your rewards. Don’t give in to what others say and start being successful even in your middle or later age. Here we laid our tips. Is being a late bloomer a bad thing? There’s nothing wrong being a late bloomer as everyone has different life stages, path, strategies, education and opportunities.    What causes others to become late bloomers Lack of employment opportunities Career changes Economic hardship in childhood days Economic misfortunes Unpreparedness in choosing courses in college and university How to set yourself for success as a late bloomer. 1. Stop comparing  It’s easy to see other people’s lives and compare yourself to them. Once you open Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts, you’ll feel a feeling of guilt which may make you blame yourself or others. You also rob an opportunity to celebrate what you accomplished. You may feel jealousy when you’re around others who did amazing things. Comparing yourself to others is problematic because you’re pitting yourself against others and ignoring the fact that every human is unique. We have different upbringings, fortunes, environment, physical health, mental health and other variables in life that we may have no control over with. According to Melissa Ducan, a psychotherapist, “You can’t compare success as much as you can’t compare the suffering”. While comparing yourself to others is a negative thing (as all or most careers and life advice prove that), the feeling of being a complete jerk when you hear about it has its roots in our brain. Feeling a little jealousy doesn’t mean you’re a complete grunting monster - it’s just you’re a human. It means it’s a natural human emotion. According to LiveScience, comparing yourself to others is normal. The website article described the brain region called area 9 that is responsible for the “self-other emergence”. The said area covers the frontal lobe and plays a role in gauging or comparing a person’s performance against others. A study published in the Neuron journal on July 20, 2016 said people automatically compare their own experiences and performance with other persons. For more info, visit this detailed scientific article. How to stop comparing yourself to others Limit social media exposure - Whether you like it or not, it’s difficult to get out the cycle of comparison when you stumble upon others' photos. Be happy with your accomplishments - Surely, you have accomplishments whether they are small or not. 2. Be ready for your Plan B When you feel stuck in your current career or job and you want to quit in the future (next month or year), you should have a clear idea of plan B. Such plan B can be anything that will serve as your new direction or path towards your dream, goal, ideal job or career. You must have a clear understanding of the risks and investments that you may meet in undertaking the Plan B that may include: Taking a new college course  Switching to a new job Training for a new skill Opening a new business  Getting a new opportunity to immigrate into an affluent country 3. Acknowledge that you can use your transferable skills Even if you venture into a total career change such as from a graphic designer to a phlebotomist, you can still use skills and experiences you gained from your previous jobs. Transferable skills consist of soft and hard skills. Transferable soft skills Empathy Leadership Writing Oral communication Negotiation Listening  Transferrable hard skills Using Microsoft office suite - MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint Google docs 4. Study another course Get another degree or start another course. By enrolling in a university or college, you can get a fresh start and let you get an opportunity. If you have been underemployed for years, or a graduate of 2 years of college, getting another degree improves your chances of higher pay, promotion and upskilling. 3 ways of studying later in life Studying a short-term course (offline or online) Studying a new 4-year course or degree Studying a master or doctorate degree. 5. Get inspired by these people who found their successes later in life Ramil Comendador (Filipino Janitor turned lawyer) - Aged 35 at the time of news - May 5, 2017, that reported his success in the bar exam. Soichiro Honda (Japanese businessman and mechanic) - At age 88, he and his company made it to the hall of fame. Taikichiro Mori (Japanese real estate tycoon) - At age 55, he started as a real estate developer. Susan Boyle (British singer) - She made it to the show “British got talent” at age 47. Jessie Savilla (Filipino lawyer) - At age 60, he became a lawyer. Harry Bernstein (British-born American Writer) - At his age 96, he published his book - The Invisible: A Love Story That Broke Barriers.

Selecting a new career is akin to choosing a new role, a new life and habits. A career change is like the path for your new life. Your career choice will eventually shape your life direction. Often, you’ll ask these questions: What career or job should I pursue? What will be my next goal? What college course should I take? Reasons for changing careers To relocate To upskill You hit a ceiling (means there’s no room for improvement in your organisation which is beyond your control). A bad economy/pandemic/endemic hit your industry or field. You are underemployed for more than a year. You resigned. You’re bored. You need bigger income. You feel that you’re not challenged. A new career or job? Although the word “career” and “job” are used interchangeably, they are different. Here’s a comparison. Career A lifetime commitment. A lifetime of jobs that are related and unrelated. Job Specific work to earn money. Can be short-term or long-term.   Steps on how to choose a career 1. Find out your motivations Your motivations can be your inner calling or inner voice that tells you to do something. For example, you believe that you can do more to end the suffering of people from hunger and poverty. So you decided to join a relief organisation.  You can ask yourself with these questions: Do I need to change my career or I just need a new job? What are the reasons why you’re leaving your job? What is your ideal workplace and experience? What is your dream? What and where do I like to be after 2 or 5 years? List all the things you want out of your next career or job. Here is a list of situations you want to change vs your ideal situations. Situations you want to change My job calls for a rigid schedule. My job is located in a faraway place. My job is uninteresting and boring. My job is full of office politics. I can’t get a promotion in this job. Your ideal situations I want a job that has flexible hours. I want a job that is near my residence. I want a job that is exciting and balanced. I want a job that offers career advancement. Ask yourself with these questions What are the things you’re good at? What are the tasks that are easy for you but others struggle with? What is your ideal team? What is your ideal workplace? What is your ideal relationship with a manager or another superior? What do other people say that you’re good at something? Where is your ideal workplace? Home, office or both? Do you want to work in a field or office or both? What type of work do you find interesting? 2. List career and job possibilities for your job List all the possible opportunities for your next career and job. You could brainstorm specific jobs for each corresponding education or training background. Here you can differentiate what is a change in a career vs change in job. A change in career A call centre agent quits his/her job and enrolls in an engineering course. A change in job A call centre agent quits his/her job and applies in another call centre company for reasons such as higher salary, career opportunities, and change in residence. Career possibilities of a career change Train for a new high paying job Answer a personal calling Helps you get out of your comfort zone Find new opportunities if you’re stuck in your current situation or job that offers no further career growth Make your peace of mind Increase your network Learn new skills/more skills Enhance your skills Avoid long-term unemployment Avoid long-term underemployment Avoid jobs that are threatened by advances in technology. Survive in the face of massive unemployment caused by the pandemic (COVID-19) Questions to ask when listing possibilities What job do you find interesting? (a challenging, low-stress, fun, flexible, more career-growth) Do you want a career that involves helping others? What career or job that can match your lifestyle? 3. Research resources on a career change The internet is a vast resource of career advice and tips on changing careers. You can also research ebooks online. 4. Research the economic demand of the industry While you can choose any career regardless of its demand, thinking about the economic standing of a specific career or job can help you avoid the risk of being underemployed.  5. Future proof your career Some jobs (especially those menial and require low-level cognitive skills) are vulnerable to automation and information technology. Invest in a career that needs higher thinking skills that can’t be easily replaced by improvements in tech. The loss of some jobs due to tech will result in the creation of new roles.

Some jobs are already extinct due to advances in technology. One of the examples of jobs axed were in the telecommunications industry. Such jobs gradually disappeared as new smartphones entered the market. Here are the extinct jobs from the medieval period to recent history. Telephone Booth Clerk The 1980s and 1990s decade was the era of a golden age for telecommunications companies that employ telephone booth clerks. The job of clerks was to guide and connect customers to their friends or loved ones. They may also process the payments of customers using the telephone booth. When the smartphones came into the market and became more affordable for the public, telephone booths slowly faded as well as the telecom companies that were too slow or unable to innovate or upgrade their products and services.    Gong/ Night Farmer Don’t be misled by the term “farmer” in this occupation, gong farmers didn't harvest crops but instead …. A crap - fecal matter. So there goes, during the medieval period in the European countries, relieving oneself involves a privy consisting of a raised board and a collector underneath. The feces were collected into the cesspits. Over time, these cesspits overflowed with feces and needed to be empty. This is where gong farmers do their job - empty and collect their stinking harvest.               Gong farmers carried carts or wheelbarrows to collect heaps or piles of poop and dump them into the community pit. Because of the unholy smell emanating from the human excrement, gong farmers only worked at night to avoid disturbing people from being horrified by the obnoxious gases. That’s when the term “Night farmer” came into being. The word “Gong” came from the word “going” from the phrase going to the bathroom. The invention of latrines, septic tanks and sewage collection services had made this job extinct. Bowling Pinsetter Photo by Library of Congress and licensed under Creative Commons If you have been to bowling alleys during the 1990s and early 2000s, most bowling centres employ bowling pinsetters. These workers’ job was to collect pins and lay them upright for players to hit. The downside of this job is that you have to avoid being hit by the plastic or fibreglass ball and end up with the injured foot. Pinsetter machines replaced this job in most or all bowling alleys. Telegram Messenger Back to the 1980s and 1990s, when people sent letters to telecom companies. A telegram is a short-medium message with a corresponding price for the number of words. A messenger task was to carry a bunch of envelopes containing messages delivered by a cargo. The invention of smartphones and SMS have made this job obsolete.  Human Alarm Clock During the industrial revolution in Ireland and Britain, a paid human alarm clock or knocker-up woke up their clients using sticks to knock onto the doors and windows. This job went extinct with the invention of mechanical and digital alarm clocks. Old Gaming Console Attendant Back to the 1990s, when gaming consoles such as the family computer and sega were common, jobs sprouted at that time. A gaming console attendant’s job was to record the time in and time out of players. They also ensured that the rules’ were followed such as throwing litters in the trash can and processing payments.  Today, there are still gaming console attendants but they are mostly limited to virtual reality consoles and high-end gaming PCs. Morse Code Operator Morse code constitutes dots, dashes, and spaces that correspond to letters, punctuation and numbers. Such dots and dashes are represented by long and short sounds. Back to the 19th century and early 20th century, most telecom companies used Morse code for communication. The invention of smartphones, cell sites and other radio communication devices made the commercial use of morse code obsolete. Now, this job is confined to some of the aviation and naval industries. Pager Operator Way back to the 1990s when pagers were regarded as a mobile form of texting just like today’s mobile phones, pager operators stand between the sender who calls via phone and the receiver who owns a pager. The job involved transcribing the verbal message of the messenger and sending that message into the pager of the receiving person. A pager is a small and pocket-size device with LCD backlit display that shows monochrome characters of numbers and letters.  When mobile phones arrived at the telecommunication scene, the use of pagers plummeted. Slowly, mobile phones replaced pagers although pagers are still used by some doctors, rescue teams, lifeboat crews, mountain rescue teams and emergency workers. Pagers hold one big advantage - they use very high frequency which needs few transmitters and less interfering obstacles compared to smartphones. Video Store Attendant If you’re the 1980s or 1990s kid, you may remember those shops housing shelves or libraries of VHS and Betamax tapes. Betamax was developed by Sony to record sounds and videos. VHS or video home system is another recording medium released by Japan Vector Company. The video store attendant’s job was to process requests of customers, help them find the best movies, inform them about the latest release and process payments. Soon after early 2000s CDs and blu-ray disks came and replaced VHS and Betamax tapes which became museum pieces.  The obsolescence of Betamax and VHS tape ended the careers of video store attendants.  Lamplighter In the early 19th century and 20th century, gas streetlights illuminated cities, homes and streets. Someone had to light these lampposts and extinguish them by the next morning. Thousands of these lampposts were installed in major cities and thus required numerous lamppost lighters. Lamppost lighters used to carry ladders and matches to remove the lamp cover and light a candle or some sort of gas soaked wick. Soon after, the introduction of incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent lamps made this job extinct. Reel Film Projectionist Reel film projectionists carry film reels measured 2,000 foot or 610 meters and it can be longer than that depending on the movie’s duration. He or she may replace the reel with another one after the movie finishes, maintain film projectors and repair the devices. The invention of digital format mediums such as hard disks, solid-state drives and USB drives made this job from near to complete obsolescence.  Today, film projectionists became digital projectionists who are masters of digital film projectors equipped with hard drives or USB ports. Some reel film projections do exist but they are limited to some speciality and old cinemas. 

Over the years, companies, employers, managers and employees see employment akin to marriage. The company is there to protect and provide the needs of its people while expecting loyalty and commitment. But time has changed. The Internet brought everyone closer, created more competition, and provided learning resources. Such a vast amount of info changed the mindset of the employed, unemployed and recent graduates of rethinking job-hopping. But the question is - is job-hopping okay? Let’s find out. What is job-hopping? Job hopping refers to the job changes in a short span of time. For example, you’re a job hopper if you switch into 5 different jobs within 10 years - working for a company for less than two years. Another, if you only spend 6 months in the job and find another one.   Pros Learn new skills​ Job hopping may lead you to new opportunities such as a chance to apply in a job different from what you have been used to. For example, If you’re working as a data encoder and studying web development, you can find another job in web development which offers more chances of career advancement and good salary. From this new job, you can hone your skills to learn programming languages such as Javascript, PHP and Python. Change careers Switching careers is the process of changing your field of work. For example, you decided to quit your job as a cook to study as a medical professional to pursue your goal of becoming a medical technologist or nurse (or vice versa). Changing careers could be the answer to your inner calling. Find a better pay​ If you have been stuck in your current position and salary, changing jobs after 6 months or 1 year can be your chance to look for a position that pays more than your current work. The pay scale depends on the company size and responsibilities. Meet new people and grow your network​ If you like to increase your network, job-hopping could help you meet new people and thus a network. A new job could be a venue for new friends, business partners and even opportunities. Opportunities abound. Avoid layoffs and bankruptcy​ Your company might have you for layoffs or fall into bankruptcy for a number of reasons such as economic depression, natural disasters, slow business, cost-cutting etc. Job hopping can save you time and emotional depression caused by the unpleasant surprise factor of being suddenly out of a job that is beyond your control.   Cons Employers might view job-hopping negatively Most, if not all, employers regard job-hopping negatively. Their human resource personnel are wary of applicants who treat their jobs and company as if they are just hitching a ride. Employers regard job-hoppers as applicants who are directionless and uncommitted. You can be regarded as having work value issues. Moreover, employers value employees who are loyal and dedicated. You’ll face the risk of job insecurity  Getting unemployed is one of the worst events that could happen in your life. If you’re not ready - no savings and without the next job that you can rely on, then you’ll be going to be broke. You’ll get limited experiences ​ Skills that need more concentration, persistence and brainpower will require a large amount of time and experience. If you’re trying to be good at web development, then a short stint won’t help you earn experiences and competence. Scattered experience Job-hopping for a different skill set can make you unattractive before the eyes of the recruitment personnel and the employer. Scattered experiences refer to different jobs within a span of a year or a couple of years. And having such colourful experiences in your resume will appear as shallow in the eyes of the interviewer and employee. Directionless career path Job hopping can lead to a directionless career path or without the goal of improving a skill or expertise. Because you have short stints, you could end up going to square one and repeating the same job. In this case, you can’t go close to mastering one or two skills.   When job-hopping is Ok. The pros and cons of job-hopping vary depending on your situation, career history and educational background. If you choose to switch job, ensure to plan it carefully and avoid haphazard decisions which you can regret later. Here are the instances, which you can regard job-hopping as a better alternative rather than staying in your job/work/company for long. You hit the ceiling - no career improvement, you don’t get rewarded for your hard work and you’re unrecognized. Bad working conditions such as an unhealthy working environment. You’re compelled to work for unpaid overtime. Bad management Your salary isn’t enough to cover your daily expenses (unless you absolutely don’t have an immediate choice). You’re certain of impending company bankruptcy and layoffs. You are working in a short-term (project-based) job. When job-hopping is not Ok? You just like to job hop for adventure. When you’re a new graduate - unless you got a meagre income or a job with bad working conditions. What should you do before your job hop? Before you decide to change jobs, make sure of these things: You have enough savings to cover your job hunting if you don’t have a next job to rely on. You’ll need money to cover your food, bills, mobile load, paperwork and rent. Even if you got a new job, you’ll still need buffer funds to cover expenses or bills before you get the next payout. You’re 100 % sure of the next job that could be in waiting for you to sign a new contract. So, is it Ok to job hop? Generally, it’s best to stay in a company to work on your experience of 1 year or two. There you can test if your goals fit in the company work and culture. Take note of your career progress (income and skills set). If nothing happens despite your efforts and you hit a stumbling block (which is out of your control), considering to switch a job is the best decision because you may miss opportunities (better pay and working conditions). The pros and cons of job-hopping depend on your situation such as - educational background, work history, skillset, the economic strength of your family and the overall status of the company

Jobs, the foundation, where we earn our daily living to pay bills, buy things and build our career could be threatened by robots and AIs. Jobs can be threatened because of economic downfall. One thing that can threaten jobs is the constant progress in technology. Several articles on the internet list jobs that could be replaced, impacted or transformed by robots, Artificial Intelligence and technology. Will robots arrive to knock at your door and drop off their resumes?  Will AI replace some of the jobs? Source: https://willrobotstakemyjob.com/ The jobs below have been mentioned across the internet as those with higher chances of automation. Such automation could happen in countries with higher technological advancement but not any time soon in countries with low AI and technology penetration. There is conflicting info cited in some internet articles whether these jobs can be replaced or not by the machines.  It’s hard to predict the future but AI and technology could replace jobs that are simple or repeatable that don’t need human oversight and creativity.  Jobs that are repetitive, easy and don't need human interaction could be replaced by robots. Some jobs can be impacted by AI but they can’t be replaced by robots. Rather, they will be transformed, which means it can result to new jobs.   BURGER FLIPPERS Burger flippers are those people who work in shops and restaurants. They take frozen burger patties or sausages, grease the grill, and flip the meat to make sure they aren't’ burnt on each side. The pros of this job - it’s easy to do. The cons - it’s low paid and you’ll end up greased and sweated after day’s work. Caliburger, a California burger chain, used flippy - costs $60,000 -  $100,000 robot that can flip numerous burgers in a minute. Using a computer, the human programs the robot according to the seconds (80s, 71s). Jerrson Graham from USA today commented that the burger tastes like human flipped burgers, although it’s a little bit salty.  If the inventors perfect the robot, it could replace human flippers but this would not happen anytime soon as the machine is too expensive and not every business can afford it.   CASHIERS Cashiers work in pharmacies, grocery stores, markets, toll gates and paid parking lots. They scan barcodes, receive payments, enter the correct price, place goods onto bags, keep cash and report such amounts to the treasury.  Tech advances in computers, software and artificial intelligence lead to partial automation in some places. One example is the cashier-less store of Amazon Go that uses hundreds of sensors and cameras on every shelf. Customers will tap their smartphone on the gate, enter the store, and pick up goods from the shelves. The shoppers will use RFID tags in each good to check out. On the other hand, in countries where there is less AI and technology penetration, automating cashier jobs is unlikely in the near future.   ACCOUNTANTS AND BOOKKEEPING CLERK Different opinions say about the plight of accountants and bookkeepers in the near future. An article from Hubspot lists bookkeepers as among the jobs where robots can take over. Likewise, vanna.com cited accountants as one of those replaceable by AI. On the other hand, finance.toolbox.com reports that AI will not replace accountants but instead transform into other jobs for humans because still, humans are the ultimate decision and oversight maker.  While we aren’t sure about the future, we can see in the trend that software such as Enterprise Resource Planning programs, Quickbooks, Freshbooks can pull transactions from credit and bank accounts. ERP programs can already automate 50% of accounting tasks such as double entry. Online software such as Hubdoc and Shoeboxed can scan documents, convert them into digital format and records. Will AI take jobs from Accountants and Bookkeepers? They could be transformed into a foreseeable future and perhaps have their tasks replaced by software. These two jobs can assume another role - data managers and advisors who make decisions and oversight.    BANK TELLERS Bank tellers are in the hot list of jobs replaceable by robots. There’s already an ATM capable of receiving cash deposits - although it’s only among the jobs of bank tellers. Some articles reported a bank staffed by robots. One example is the China Construction Bank that used assorted ATMs and machines that offer foreign exchange, account opening, deposits and wealth management.  Another is an article about the prediction from Wells Fargo (A US Bank and Financial Service company) which cited that robots could snatch 200,000 jobs from humans in the next 10 years. Based on these articles, those banking jobs with menial and repetitive jobs could be replaced or at least affected by technology. Again, it’s hard to predict whether androids would come knocking before a bank employee’s doorstep. Like accountants, such technology affecting bank teller jobs could take decades or more in countries or places with low technology penetration.   DRIVERS A self-driving car is able to self-drive without a human behind its steering wheel. Google has already started its autonomous car in US roads and another in the UK. Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company) owns Waymo, a subsidiary, responsible for developing self-driving technology. You can notice a self-driving car through the variety of sensors embedded inside and outside. Google uses sensors to navigate roads, identify and avoid obstacles. The sensors include LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), gyroscope, GPS, altimeter, tachometer, ultrasonic sensor and radar. However, this self-driving technology is far from perfect as it has only limitations such as the inability to pothole detection, detours, rerouted roads, inclement weather, unmapped stoplights, and human or police officer signals. Now, back to the issue if tech could replace drivers. The answer is that it won’t replace drivers anytime soon in the near future. Even if somehow programmers and developers overcome obstacles, the computer controlling the car has to deal with making the best decision out of multiple bad choices.   MOVIE STARS  Star Wars, one of the most iconic and cultural movies, used a CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) to replace the late Carrie Fisher. The digital Princess Leia looked similar to the actress as the movie used another CGI to superimpose the computer-generated face over other actresses' faces before Fisher passed away. Fisher’s family already approved a CGI Princess Leia for another Star Wars movie. For movies completely made with 3D animation, it’s already happening when full digital characters act and talk like humans.  On the other hand, there’s an argument that AI/robots won't replace movie stars because of “emotion”. Robots have no emotions and such human quality is always found in scenes. Possible scenarios that could happen in the near future include: 3D movies will give rise to video editor and animator jobs. AI, CGI and robots will perhaps transform or augment movie or voice acting jobs. FACTORY WORKERS Factory workers include packers, machinists, welders, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine operators, quality inspectors, and safety specialists. They work in factories of metal sheets, cars, car parts, appliances and plastics.  According to a BBC report, robots could replace up to 20 million factory jobs by 2030. Oxford Economics (a quantitative analysis and global forecasting firm)  said that jobs that are repetitive, menial or low skilled are at risk of being replaced by automation. On the other hand, jobs that need creativity, compassion, and social intelligence won’t be replaced by robots.    Will Robots and AI ultimately take away jobs from Humans? It’s hard to come up with an accurate conclusion as some of the estimates or predictions may or might be exaggerated. We can conclude that: It’s plausible that jobs can be affected or transformed by technology. Automation and robotics could create other job opportunities such as programming, and robotic jobs. Repetitive, menial or low skilled jobs could be replaced by AI and robots. Some jobs prone to tech advancements will be affected in places where there are high technological penetration (the United States, Japan, Germany, Norway, Finland, France).   What to do when faced with technological advances? Learn creative and higher skills - These skills involve the need for creativity, social interaction, and emotion - things that can’t be automated by zeros and ones and even advanced AIs or robots. Examples of high-skilled jobs are dieticians, writers, psychologists, health social workers, . Learn two or more skills - If your career is solely focused on jobs that could be replaced by automation (cashier, factory worker), then you may lose your job to technological advances in the near or far future. You can learn side skills that are not related or related to your present job.