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Today's students are living in a very different world to the one in which their parents studied. Technology is evolving, climate is changing, jobs are transforming. For students, the choice of a university major, leading to a career, is less obvious than it was for their parents.

"Vocationalism is so twentieth century," says Dr Hilary Chung, founding director of the Global Studies Programme at the University of Auckland.

The Bachelor of Global Studies, which incorporates critical thinking, research and intercultural communication, is one of several new programmes being offered at the University of Auckland, addressing the need for a new way of thinking about skills to match jobs and careers which didn't exist a generation ago, some even a decade ago, such as:

1. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

The job of social media manager demonstrates Chung's point. This job requires awareness of a range of disciplines from writing and photography to brand awareness, monetisation and intercultural communication. Fifteen years ago, this job was unheard of. Although social media was starting to appear back then, there would've been no need for anyone to manage it apart from individuals.

"The world is changing faster and faster and we can't even think about these new jobs because we don't know what's going to happen," says Chung, "which is why students need a big skill set to take into the world with them, enabling them to adapt."

2. TELEMEDICINE PHYSICIAN

Who knew this job would be a possibility 15 years ago, when the word 'telemedicine' didn't even exist? While doctor's consultations over the phone have been around for a while, the rapid development of technology for computers and smartphones is making telemedicine, or telehealth as it is sometimes known, a reality for more people. It allows the physician to work remotely and is an indication of the trend towards remote-friendly workplaces, another signal of changing work structures in the 21st century.

3. DATA SCIENTIST

Data scientists are responsible for collecting and collating large amounts of data, managing and organising it into a coherent format, to give important insights to businesses and corporations.

Catherine Stephens is manager of Career Development and Employability Services at the University of Auckland. "Big data is everything now," she says. "Who manages it? How do we interpret it? How do we disseminate it? Our students are learning to think about what we need and how we are going to solve problems in a creative way."

Data might not be an obvious fit on the creative spectrum but Stephens reiterates the importance of the modern fluid skillset mentality.

"One of the key skills we talk about for the future is problem solving but it's also about having creative ideas. Creativity is one thing that sets us apart from the machines."

4. CLOUD SERVICES SPECIALIST

Speaking of data, an increasing amount of information is being stored in cloud servers. Although the cloud is not a new concept, the number of cloud server specialists is growing, due to demand.

"As new trends emerge, human capability is growing," says Stephens. "If you learn quickly and adapt, you're keeping up with the world of work because learning is ongoing. Look into the future rather than waiting for change to happen and think about the trends and future-proofing."

5. CULTURED MEAT TECHNICIAN

In this developing industry, technicians engineer muscle tissue to serve as substrate for consumable meat. For students who believe this is the way to muck in and help save the world, this could be the right time to enrol in the University of Auckland's Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) to be ready for this industry to take off.

"The twenty-first century graduate from university has to have the broadest possible skillset in order to be able to respond to whatever's going to happen – and we don't necessarily know what that is," says Chung.

"Everything is more temporary, everything is moving. Companies restructure, old jobs go, new positions are created and it's all responding to a world which is changing increasingly rapidly.

"If we are radical in terms of how we use fossil fuels for example, if we really do change what we do, there are going to be new jobs, new sectors that arrive and old ones which disappear so it's all about soft skills. The parents are living in a world of certainties, but the kids aren't.

"It's all about being nimble on your feet now."