It is a sobering thought that in 10 years, about 65 percent of jobs have not even been thought of yet, according to the Department of Labor.

If

smarter computers take on more of the work that people do now, we have to wonder what jobs there might be left for us humans.

For example: Could a robot do your job? Almost any job that can be described as a “process” could be done by a computer, whether that computer is housed in a robot or embedded somewhere out of sight.

And that leaves this question: What can you do today to ensure your job prospects in the future?

The value of human thinking

Some jobs will always be done by people. The reasons can vary greatly: There are economic, social, or nostalgic benefits to having humans do them — or they’re simply not practical for robots to do.

And there’s this: If about 65 percent of the jobs of the future — we’re talking a decade ahead — have not been invented yet, we cannot be sure what those future jobs will look like (though futurists have not been shy of making predictions).

But while we may not know what outward form these jobs will take, we can still make a catalog of the generic skills that will be valued highly.

In his book “Five Minds for the Future,” Harvard professor Howard Gardner makes the case for cultivating a disciplined mind — bringing attention to a laser-like focus and drilling down to the essence of a subject, perceiving the simple truth of it.

Then it’s important to take this clarity to the next level by combining multiple ideas in new ways to create something interesting and perhaps useful. This is done by the synthesizing mind and the creative mind.

Gardner also describes the respectful mind, which values diversity in people and looks for positive ways to interact, thus overcoming the “us and them” instinct that still creates so much conflict in human affairs.

Building on this is the ethical mind, the one that thinks about the big picture and how personal needs can be brought into alignment with the greater good of the community. These are skills for a globally connected world.

Mastering media, managing info

The future will see a host of new technologies for creating and communicating content. In-demand workers will be able to critically assess content and use the technology to communicate it to good effect. Communication skills have always been important and will remain so.

Knowing how to deal with large data sets will be a handy skill: finding ways to make sense of data and turn it into useful information. This could involve devising new, multidisciplinary and perhaps unconventional approaches to the challenges.

We already filter a deluge of information every day. Our grandparents were lucky; they had to deal with a lot less. People will need to be even better at managing the cognitive load. They should have the thinking skills to filter the deluge and find optimum solutions to problems.

When good collaboration tools exist for virtual-project teams, there are few limits to what can be achieved. More projects will be executed by such teams because the technology that supports them is getting better every year.

Procedural architects will be at a premium. These are people who can design virtual environments and experiences that allow people to get things done and perhaps have some fun. This is what the minds behind Google, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, Wikipedia, Twitter, eBay, LinkedIn, Pinterest, WordPress and MSN have done.

But where will the jobs be?

All of this leads to this question: What actual jobs are likely to be in demand? Employment specialists are always compiling lists of what they think will be in demand. These are some of the jobs that appear on multiple lists.

• In information technology: Security analysts, big-data analysts, artificial intelligence and robotics specialists, applications developers for mobile devices, Web developers, database administrators, business intelligence analysts, gamification (the use of game design elements in non-game contexts) designers, business/systems analysts and ethicists.

• In other disciplines: Engineers of all kinds, accountants, lawyers, financial advisers, project managers, specialist doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, veterinarians, psychologists, health- services managers, schoolteachers, market-research analysts, sales reps and construction workers (particularly bricklayers and carpenters).

To position yourself favorably for the jobs of the future, become someone who can look at problems in unorthodox ways, see different angles and find workable solutions. Be a multidisciplinary, insatiably curious person who knows how to use the tools to model ideas and create prototypes.

Possessed of an open mind and few fixed ideas about how things should be done, you should nonetheless have a strong conscience. Become known for integrity and resilience.

All of these qualities can be cultivated or perhaps rediscovered, since children often exhibit them in abundance. And they have always been the way for creative, high-achieving people to find the jobs they deserve.

In the coming age of intelligent machines, the qualities that are essentially human will be more important than ever.

Tuffley is a lecturer in applied ethics and sociotechnical studies at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. This article was originally published on The Conversation: theconversation.com.