'A lot of hard work and late nights': Why Jonathan is the future of work in Australia

Jonathan Meddings has won the career jackpot – he is in a profession he loves and it is booming.

The 29-year-old is a policy analyst at Thorne Harbour Health, one of Australia's largest community-controlled health service providers for LGBTI people and people living with HIV.

Jonathan Meddings' profession will be in high demand over the next few years. Credit: Paul Jeffers

His role is to research and develop policy for the organisation and influence decision makers to progress its policy agenda. He says the job involves excellent research, communication and people skills.

"It can be a lot of hard work and late nights, and policy change rarely happens as quickly as you’d like it to. But in the end, it’s all worth it because you help make a positive difference and improve people’s lives," he says.

"What drives me is always learning something new, overcoming challenges, and helping those who need it. I enjoy being a policy analyst because it allows me to do all these things."

Intelligence and policy analysts are among the occupations that are projected to undergo the biggest increase in employment over the next few years.

There were about 16,000 of them in 2016, and their numbers are expected to grow 36 per cent by 2023.

What is the future for your occupation? Enter your job title in the interactive below to see whether it is a field that is predicted to grow or shrink between now and 2023:

Darren Halpin, a Professor of Political Science at Australian National University, says there is a demand for people who can understand complicated information and analyse big data.

"The world is getting more complex. Information overload is common in all spheres of economy and government, and so decision makers need people who can winnow this and provide clear recommendations for action,” he says.

Professor Halpin convenes the university’s Bachelor of Public Policy program, which is where some policy analysts cut their teeth.

"You need excellent skills in dealing with ill-structured or defined problems, working out the scope, identifying what data is available and where to get it, and being able to synthesise this and communicate it to an audience quickly and clearly," Professor Halpin says.

Out of about 400 different jobs, the one that is tipped to experience the most growth between now and 2023 is 'aged and disabled carer'. The Jobs Department expects this occupation's workforce to grow by almost 40 per cent over the coming years.

Several other jobs tied to the country's ageing population and the National Disability Insurance Scheme are also expecting a boost in employment numbers, such as physiotherapists (25 per cent), health and welfare services managers (22 per cent), and nurses (18 per cent).

But, on the flipside, the number of people employed as secretaries, engineering production workers (such as welders), switchboard operators, printers or vocational education teachers are projected to decrease significantly between now and 2023:

It has been a particularly rough few years for secretaries on the employment front.

Their numbers have plummeted 33 per cent over the past five years, with census data showing 21,023 fewer people employed as secretaries in 2016 than in 2011. In real terms, that's the biggest drop of any occupation.

Chiara Silveri, a practice assistant at Allens law firm in MelbourneCredit: Luis Enrique Ascui

But it doesn't necessarily mean secretarial skills are no longer required. Some secretaries are adapting to the changing work environment, and their roles are being redefined.

Take Chiara Silveri. Law firm Allens changed the title of her role from 'secretary' to 'practice assistant' in 2018.

On top of all the usual secretarial duties like answering phones, diary management, printing and filing, sending emails, doing document amendments and typing, Ms Silveri also helps to pitch for new clients, and makes billing arrangements for the firm's legal professionals.

She said the new title more accurately reflects how much the role has evolved.

"I am quite excited by how much more I get to do in the role," Ms Silveri says.

"It is an integral role that helps everything run smoothly. We do a lot of the administrative tasks that are time-consuming, and take the lawyers away from things that are more what they should be focused on."

Ms Silveri’s experience is not an isolated case. Research released last month by advisory firm AlphaBeta found the job of a secretary was among those that had changed the most in the past decade when it came to day-to-day tasks.

Senior business trainer Amberlie Cameron-Smith, who teaches business administration for training organisation Suzan Johnston, said secretaries have had to adapt to changing needs in the workforce.

"In the last 10 years there's been a shift to secretaries being flexible, and being able to go into a business and put your hand to a lot of things because that's often what people will come to you for," Ms Cameron-Smith said. "You can be the IT helpdesk or the go-to for things where people are unsure.

"Jobs have gone over time, but we have looked at that as an adaption and a change, and if anything I think the traditional secretary role, and even the word, doesn't get used as much as it used to.

"A lot of workplaces would be lost without receptionists or secretaries. The role is so broad."