Drumroll, please. It turns out that the career path of the future just might be ... forecasting and analyzing the future. At least, that's what professional futurists seem to think.

Their logic is tight: Things are changing fast, which unnerves corporate leaders, who are in turn willing to spend lots of money to learn about what's coming. Some folks fret about melting ice caps, nuclear Armageddon or disruptive technologies that could kibosh our carefully laid plans. For futurists, these are business opportunities.

The October 2007 edition of Forbes magazine includes an article describing Futures consulting work and careers. The piece, featuring APF members Tom Conger, Lisa Bodell, Peter Bishop, Christian Crews and Garry Golden, gives an overview of the field including a glimpse into some of those who practice and embrace foresight in its various forms. 

Author Elizabeth Eaves also contends with the issue of the Futurist's image:

The profession has something of an ongoing identity crisis. While some embrace the term "futurists," others squirm, preferring to say they practice "strategic foresight."

 All in all the article, while not 'glowing', presents a fair account of the field and is well worth a read.

 Click here for the article or paste the following URL into your browser.

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/10/13/futurist-business-consultant-tech-future07-cx_ee_1015futurist.html