Category: Jobs

ChatGPT, released in November 2022, is a free online tool created by OpenAI. It uses an artificial intelligence (AI) program called Generative Pre-training Transformer (GPT). GPT trained on a huge database of human-created text. GPT uses natural language processing (NLP) to create ChatGPT conversations.

It is difficult to predict which jobs will disappear due to the development and deployment of GPT or other artificial intelligence technologies. However, it is likely that some jobs that involve the production of large volumes of written content, such as data entry or content generation for social media, may be automated to some extent using GPT or similar technologies.

It is also possible that other jobs involving tasks that can be automated using AI, such as data analysis or language translation, may also be impacted.

However, it is important to note that AI technologies like GPT are not designed to replace human workers completely but to assist them and make their jobs easier and more efficient. The adoption of GPT and other AI technologies will likely lead to some changes in the job market, but it is not necessarily the case that it will result in widespread job displacement.

The development and deployment of AI technologies may also create new job opportunities in fields such as AI research, development, and deployment, as well as in industries that can leverage AI to improve their products and services.

Changes in Global Jobs Due to AI

The 2020 Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum estimated that AI would cause a global loss of 85 million jobs by 2025. The report estimated that AI would create 97 million new jobs during the same timeframe.

Overall, the impact of GPT and other AI technologies on the job market is likely to be complex and varied. The results will depend on various factors, including the automation of specific tasks, the industries and sectors where AI tools are useful, and the broader economic and social context of AI deployment.

Examples of Job Displacements

Places where AI tools like ChatGPT have already started replacing human writers, are newsfeeds and bulk content creation.

News Feeds

There are news services with constantly changing data, such as those about the stock market and investments. AI software can generate news feeds and articles in rough draft form. Then, a human edits them for final proofing before publication. One editor can now create the same output equivalent to about a dozen or so content writers.

Bulk Content Creation

Some freelance systems have human writers creating mundane articles for a low cost. Typically, 500 words for around $5 to $7 per article. Some of these systems prohibit their writers’ use of AI tools. Many non-native English speakers write for these systems.

In some cases, the article quality is very low when an article is obviously written by a non-native English speaker. These jobs will disappear for the most part because AI writing is far superior to those articles in English written by non-native speakers.

Conclusion

The consensus is that AI will not replace all content creators, but those who use AI tools will replace those who do not. ChatGPT can generate written content, but the created draft still needs editing, fact-checking, updating, and oversight. ChatGPT allows writers, who also serve as editors for final proofing before publication, to make more high-quality content faster and easier.

With every year that passes, there are more and more people that are working from home in varying capacities. While many jobs had people returning to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic started to die down, there were still a lot of occupations that stayed remote. Many companies found that they could save space in the office by moving some of their positions to remote full-time.

Meanwhile, there are other positions that have been remote since even before the pandemic as the employees simply don’t have much reason to be in the office. If you prefer the atmosphere of working from home (and the lack of commute) compared to the office, then these are five career paths that you’ll want to take a look at.

5. Tech Support

Anyone that has worked in tech support while in an office setting has lamented time and time again that there’s really no reason for them to be there in person unless it’s to install new hardware. As a result, more tech support jobs are being moved to a completely remote setting, as agents are able to assume control of an employee’s computer to figure out their tech issues.

It’s amazing how much tech support has evolved over the years, with many computer issues able to be taken care of from thousands of miles away. There are also those times when telling someone to simply “turn it off and turn it back on again” works just as fine without having to drive all the way downtown to a big office building.

4. Sales

We did mention that the jobs on this list are remote, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are completely work at home. These days, the number of salespeople that actually have to show up to an office is shrinking, while the number of jobs in sales is growing. That’s because sales can be done over the phone from anywhere, especially in the comfort of your home.

If you need to meet a client face-to-face for sales, you can go to that meeting without having to spend the entire day sitting in an office and wasting a lot of time. Those that are are the best at sales in their company are hardly ever asked to come into the office as they’re either at home or out in the field.

3. Translator

The world is becoming more global, and more business is being done internationally than ever before. Because of that, there are going to be language barriers as busy executives aren’t going to have time to learn an entirely new language. Instead, they’ll rely on the help of a translator to close a deal with a foreign client.

Because of the distance, many of these meetings are being held virtually. That means that as a translator, you won’t even have to leave your home to help with these important meetings.  Instead, you can simply hop into the video call and relay the information as needed. You’ll be a valuable asset to both companies, so these jobs are in high demand.

2. Customer Service Representative

A lot of larger companies used to have sprawling call centers that would take up multiple floors of a building, but those days are quickly coming to an end. These same companies are now having many of their employees work from home or outsourcing them to those that are able to get through the training process.

While the idea of talking on the phone all day might be a little frightening for some, there are also options to be a text-only customer service representative. Either way, you’ll be able to find remote work as a CSR in no time.

1. Social Media Manager

More and more, companies are getting away from the traditional forms of marketing and focusing on social media. Thanks to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, these businesses need those that have their finger on the pulse and can help bolster their brand on social media.

While not all of these jobs are remote, smaller businesses will tend to higher those that are working from home. If you can prove yourself to be a great social media marketer, you can work your way up to working on projects with larger companies.

While almost every job requires you to use your hands, a lot of them only involve a lot of typing up emails and other documents. Then, there are jobs where you have to get your hands dirty or continuously active. For those that want to have a job like that in which you’re more involved and have to concentrate on what you’re doing, there’s a long list of jobs just for you.

We wanted to focus on a wide range of jobs, from the blue-collar to the more hands-off types of jobs in which you’re actively using those digits. With that in mind, here are five of the best jobs for people who really like working with their hands.

Baker

If you have a love for the culinary arts and working with your hands, training to become a pastry chef would be a great opportunity for you. Oftentimes in the pastry, baking, and decorating world you’re left to work with the most important tools in any kitchen, your hands. 

Sculpting modeling chocolate, using fondant, creating sugar art, and putting together the most delicate and scrumptious work of culinary perfection all require a hands-on approach. You can hone your pastry skills all while working with your hands and getting a little messy.  

Sign Language Interpreter

As far as working with your hands goes, there are not many professions that are as hands-on as ones that involve sign language. Whether you’re teaching sign language classes, or you’re a professional sign language interpreter, it’s a job that’s both rewarding and requires a pretty much sole hands-on approach. 

Working in education, or working as an interpreter is interesting, and fun, and provides you and those around you with the skills and convenience of understanding sign language. Not to mention you’ll be learning an entirely different language, a skill that can help you communicate with others you previously couldn’t, making others feel included. 

Plumber 

When you think about plumbing, you probably don’t picture a life of luxury. However, plumbing is an incredibly well-paid skill and allows those interested in getting down and dirty the ability to work with their hands. 

It takes brains, focus, and an interest in the grimy and gross to excel in a career like plumbing. Just think, when something in your home needs fixing, you won’t need to pay another person tons of money to come out and fix it. It’s a very eventful career, surely full of interesting and funny stories. You get to work with your hands and possess a skill that will come in handy. 

Musician

Besides vocalists, the majority of musicians spend a large amount of their time working with their hands. From brass instruments, woodwind instruments, piano, drums, and guitar, there’s a whole bunch of amazing categories of instruments you can try out. 

Along with the notoriety, fun, and creative outlet being a musician provides, you’ll be doing what you love and showcasing your talents for so many others to enjoy. Music makes the world go round and is an experience like no other. It’s a hands-on career where you can really reap the rewards and have the time of your life doing it. 

Mechanic 

Mechanics are some of the most treasured professionals on the planet. Car troubles are often highly inconvenient and interrupt the daily flow of our busy lifestyles. If it weren’t for the lovely people who study to identify and repair our vehicle’s issues, one small mishap would be a much bigger problem. 

It’s a career that’s not only vital but allows you to work with your hands a whole lot. You’ll be greasy, dirty, and working hands-on like the rugged handyman you aspire to be. While helping people in need of services and making a comfortable living off of your hard work. 

There are a lot of reasons to work for the federal government in some capacity. For some, it’s the stability and lack of having to negotiate for better pay. For others, it’s because of the massive amount of benefits that federal employees receive. If you’ve been thinking about joining the federal government as an employee, there are some great perks that come along with it. Here’s a quick overview to the benefits federal workers can expect:

5. Vacation

Everyone loves taking vacation days, and the federal government offers a lot of them. Those that have been employed by the federal government for up to three years, they’ll receive 13 vacation days every year. 

Employees who have been there for three to 15 years receive 20 vacation days per year while 15+ years is 26 vacation days. These vacation days can roll over, too, with a maximum of 30 days rolled over each year.

4. Sick Leave/Holidays

A lot of private sector employees can be very stringent on how much sick leave you get each year and don’t observe many holidays. In most cases, your sick days won’t roll over in the next year, either. That’s not the case for federal employees, though, who are able to get 13 sick days per year no matter how long they’ve been employed and can be used for various reasons.

The best part of the sick leave is that it indeed rolls over into the following year. Let’s say you haven’t taken a sick day for five years. That means that you’ll have 65 of them stored up for whenever you need them the most. You may not need to use sick days if they happen to fall on one of the 11 paid holidays, too.

3. Student Loan Forgiveness

The most efficient way to pay back federal student loans is by working with the federal government itself. Federal Family Education Loans and Direct PLUS Loans qualify for the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program when people work for the same federal agency for at least three years.

Through this program, participants can have up to $10,000 per year repaid with up to $60,000 in total. If you’re working in the public sector in general (i.e. public school teacher, city hall, etc.) you can have your student loans totally forgiven after 10 years of work. As long as you have made 120 monthly payments, you’ll qualify for this student loan forgiveness.

2. Health Insurance

All federal employees are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. There are over 200 plans for employees to choose from, and it covers just about anything that you could think of. From routine exams and lab tests to prescriptions and smoking cessation programs, federal employees have some of the best health insurance possible.

For most plans, employees will pay around 30 percent of the insurance premium per pay period while the government takes care of the rest. Unlike most health insurance plans that are provided by employers, federal health insurance plans aren’t subject to a physical exam or a waiting period, either.

1. Retirement Benefits

You’ll find that a lot of federal employees end up sticking with the same agency for much of their careers, and a big reason for that is due to the retirement benefits. The Federal Employees Retirement System has contributions coming from three sources, making it one of the best retirement plans that you could ask for.

On top of social security, federal employees also get contributions from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and Basic Benefit Plan. The TSP operates similarly to a 401(k), except an employee doesn’t need to put anything in themselves for the agency to contribute. Each pay period will have the agency deposit the amount equivalent to 1 percent and does the same through the Basic Benefit Plan. In the Basic Benefit Plan, though, employees to have to make contributions themselves, too.

As everyone knows, finding the right job isn’t easy. There are plenty of websites that can help to assist you to find a job, but even then it’s hard to make sure it’s a good fit. If you find yourself on the job hunt, you know that it’s a big-time commitment that can feel like a job in itself. With that in mind, you can’t be actively searching 24 hours a day. There are ways that you can stay alert to the opportunities in your job search, though, and these are the best ways to make sure you’re up to date.

5. Don’t Forget Old Methods

When we think about job opportunities becoming available, we always go to the internet to search for what we need. There are some old-school ways of doing things that are still advantageous, however. Don’t be afraid to pick up a local newspaper to see what places are hiring, even if it’s not the specific position that you’re looking for. 

The company may have another spot for you if they’re in a hiring period. Also, try the method of walking in to speak to a manager. Though they may refer you to the online application, they’ll at least have a face associated with the name.

4. Contact Your State’s Labor Department

One of the best resources that you have at your disposal is your state’s labor department. Because of the tie-ins with unemployment benefits, state governments have a firsthand knowledge of what jobs are available in every city. 

Make sure to register for the job board in your state or country, and you’ll get notifications about the jobs that become available. If you’re unemployed at the moment, simply applying for some of these jobs will help you to meet unemployment requirements whether you get an interview or now.

3. Apply For Future Considerations

There may be a company out there that’s holding the keys to your dream job, but somebody else is in that position currently. It doesn’t hurt to still include your application in their database, as all companies will retain resumes and apps for future consideration.

This is especially true for businesses where many have identified it as their dream place to work. Think of sports organizations, certain restaurants, etc. It might not be the instant solution that you’re looking for, but it can at least set you up down the road while you’re also landing a job to get you through until then.

2. Keep a Current Resume With Recruiters

The role of a recruiter has become more active than ever before. All day, recruiters will scour through resumes on a full-time basis so that human resources departments in corporations don’t have to, and can allocate their resources elsewhere.

Make sure to connect with as many recruiters as you can. If they can put in a good word for you, then it’s likely that you’ll at least land an interview with the company you’re applying. Recruiters are easy to get in touch with compared to HR reps, making them the most valuable tool for any job search. There also isn’t that feeling of pressure talking to a recruiter compared to human resources while also providing you with some beneficial tools to boost your resume.

1. Fine Tune Your LinkedIn

Most of the recruiters that you’ll come in touch with all have one thing in common, and it’s that they have an active LinkedIn profile. The website has become the hub for almost all job searches around the world, and for good reason. 

LinkedIn is able to send notifications straight to your phone or computer as soon as a position opens up that you might be a match for. You can easily get in touch with recruiters through LinkedIn, as well, meaning that your job search can be expedited and you’ll be on your way to the new office in no time.

The average American pays more than $15,000 in income taxes. This leaves a lot of people shocked when they get their first paycheck as that amount you thought you were making per hour is actually a lot less. Thankfully, there are many ways in which you can lower your taxes throughout the year while still getting the most out of your yearly tax return. Here are five legit ways to reduce tax on your salary in the United States.

5. Donations

You’ll see a lot of wealthy people wind up making big donations, and it’s not always out of the kindness of their hearts. That’s because donating money can be a big money saver on your taxes, with some people being able to deduct a maximum of 60 percent of their adjusted gross income. If you’re donating a significant sum, don’t just assume that you can write it off and have it approved without documentation, however.

Any charitable contribution of $250 or more will need a certified letter stating that you’ve made that donation. For most people, though, needing to itemize donations won’t be necessary. However, you’ll still want to document any contributions made for your personal knowledge.

4. Home Office Deduction

Each year, the amount of people working from home is growing. Because of this, the amount of money that people are spending to make their homes more suited for remote work is growing, too. Thankfully, the IRS allows you to deduct $5 per square foot of your home that’s being used exclusively for office space. This means that you can deduct $1,500 each year just for setting up a desk in a spare bedroom, or really anywhere that you find it comfortable to get work done.

3. Health Savings Account

Many of us will end up putting money into a savings account as soon as we’re paid, but that will still be taxed. Instead, you can start putting some of your money into a Health Savings Account, or HSA, which can cover a wide range of healthcare costs. This can be anything from teeth cleanings to new glasses and doctor visits. 

The amount that you contribute to an HSA isn’t taxed, as the amount is determined before federal taxes are taken out. Even depositing into your HSA account is tax deductible, while using your HSA card to make payments is tax exempt. As the account grows, that money is tax-deferred, meaning that keeping a good amount of your money in HSA is a great way to avoid paying high taxes.

2. Update Your W-4

At the start of the year, the human resources department of your employer will ask you to take another look at your W-4 form for tax withholding. Many people opt to have their taxes taken out of their paychecks in large sums throughout the course of the year, meaning that they’ll get a big refund each year.

However, if you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck, it might be wise to update your W-4 so that you’re getting more each payday. If you find yourself living comfortably and end up getting a raise, you can have the IRS withhold more each paycheck so that you’re getting a large refund.

1. Retirement Plans

The system in the United States is set up so that you can enjoy a comfortable retirement. As such, there are a lot of tax breaks when you’re putting your money into a retirement plan like a 401(k) or IRA. Contributions, which can happen automatically with every paycheck, are tax-deductible, while the money in these accounts isn’t taxed as the numbers grow.

There is one caveat to this method, though. If you end up needing a lot of money, but it’s tied up until you reach retirement age. Taking out the money early can lead to a large tax penalty that’s automatically taken out upon withdrawal.

You’ve seen pictures: someone’s working on a laptop in a hammock on a tropical beach. This is the life, you may think. Well, that individual didn’t just wake up one morning and find themselves working in paradise. It took preparation and planning.

This lucky laborer is a digital nomad, also called a location-independent worker. A digital nomad is someone who can earn a living from anywhere and does exactly that. Most spend big chunks of time abroad enjoying the benefits of countries that are low-cost, beautiful or both.

If this is your ambition, here are six steps to becoming a digital nomad.

1. Develop Remote Job Skills

Maybe you already have a “nomadable” skill. If you’re a freelance writer, website developer, editor or transcriber, you already have work you can do anywhere. Some digital nomads teach English online. Others take gigs from online job sites such as Upwork and FlexJobs. Blogging can be profitable, especially for affiliate marketers who earn passive income from advertisers.

If you don’t have one of these skills, there are reasonably priced classes where you can develop them. 

2. Choose a Destination

This involves more than just picking the most beautiful country. Working while on a tourist visa is illegal most places, and tourist visas usually expire in 90 days or less.

However, many countries now offer freelancer visas especially designed for nomad workers. These include some desirable ones such as Bali, Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua, the Caymans, Costa Rica, Malta, Mauritius, Spain and Portugal. If warm weather isn’t your thing, you might try Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland or Norway.

Countries that welcome digital nomads generally have decent broadband. Most countries with poor connectivity aren’t ones you’d care to work from.

3. Try It At Home

Before you begin globe-hopping, start doing freelance work where you are. You might keep your day job full- or part-time. As freelance income increases, start experimenting with the nomad lifestyle, for example, by setting your own hours and going to the lake during the day.

This is a good time to begin connecting with the worldwide digital community on forums or Facebook groups. Learn some ins and outs from folks who are already living your dream.

4. Simplify Your Life

Digital nomads travel light and minimize obligations. You might:

• Sell or rent out any homes you own.
• If you’re a renter, set an end date on your lease.
• Get rid of everything you don’t need. Find a place to store the rest.

5. Attend To Practical Matters

Besides ensuring that visas and inoculations are in order:

• Switch to a bank that reimburses ATM fees.
• Get a credit card that doesn’t charge currency exchange fees.
• Purchase a VPN.
• Make sure you have the medical coverage you need.

6. Join a Digital Nomad Community

Nomads tend to form communities in nomad-friendly countries. If you live where they live and get to know them, you’ll not only have moral support but will pick up practical tips to make life easier.