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Futurist or futurologist is a relatively new role that focuses on making forecasts and predictions about what might happen to human society, technology, the economy and other key systems in the future.

$34,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $43,000 is the 75th percentile.

Be open-minded and comfortable with change. The future is always changing - as a foresight practitioner, embracing this will serve you well in trying to inspire a brighter future.

I call myself an ʼApplied Futuristʼ because with my engineerʼs mind, Iʼm as excited about the response to a vision as I am about the vision itself. I get involved in all sorts of responses to the impetus that comes from foresight, from organisational and policy change, to new product and service innovation.

The term futurist most commonly refers to people who attempt to understand the future (sometimes called trend analysis) such as authors, consultants, thinkers, organizational leaders and others who engage in interdisciplinary and systems thinking to advise private and public organizations on such matters as diverse

How to Become a Futurist Know the difference between a wave and a tide. Waves are fads, and tides are trends. Look for the small signals, not the big signs. By the time you see the big sign, the future is upon you. Become a historian. Because you cannot see into the future, the only data you have available is the past.

Futurists need at least three years of work experience (and demonstrated expertise in a particular field), several years under the tutelage of a futurist mentor, or the completion of a masterʼs degree in future studies.

Another crucial aspect of thinking like a futurist is developing the ability to spot patterns and trends before they become mainstream. You need to be able to connect the dots between seemingly disparate ideas and recognize the potential for new, disruptive innovations.