Thanks for the question. You make a good point that many of the common ‘on-ramps’ into strategic foresight roles aren’t feasible for people with financial or caregiving responsibilities.
The good news is that foresight isn’t just a job title. It’s a methodology—a way to see and frame issues like environmental/social concerns. You probably can use tools like framing trends, horizon scanning, identifying second-order effects, or stress-testing assumptions in your current work (I recommend the Millennium Project’s Futures Research Methodology as a bescherelle of methods) . These can help you practice thinking about systems, uncertainty, and long-term stakes. I’d challenge you to approach new roles by asking yourself ‘how can I reposition this problem to help others see it differently, and how/why is that useful for the cause at hand?’
A better path into this space may be by building public artefacts of your thinking that can show your thought leadership. E.g. a blog post exploring alternative futures in your domain, a speculative memo reframing an industry issue you’re knowledgeable of, or a lightweight scenario sprint with a few peers.
I’d also say from my personal experience that having a ‘portfolio career’ with shorter stints of experience in multiple things can be to your advantage. By framing yourself as a generalist, you can connect trends from one field to another (e.g. animal welfare and journalism) with more credibility than someone who is deeply specialised in just one area.
Hey Sam,
Thanks for the question. You make a good point that many of the common ‘on-ramps’ into strategic foresight roles aren’t feasible for people with financial or caregiving responsibilities.
The good news is that foresight isn’t just a job title. It’s a methodology—a way to see and frame issues like environmental/social concerns. You probably can use tools like framing trends, horizon scanning, identifying second-order effects, or stress-testing assumptions in your current work (I recommend the Millennium Project’s Futures Research Methodology as a bescherelle of methods) . These can help you practice thinking about systems, uncertainty, and long-term stakes. I’d challenge you to approach new roles by asking yourself ‘how can I reposition this problem to help others see it differently, and how/why is that useful for the cause at hand?’
A better path into this space may be by building public artefacts of your thinking that can show your thought leadership. E.g. a blog post exploring alternative futures in your domain, a speculative memo reframing an industry issue you’re knowledgeable of, or a lightweight scenario sprint with a few peers.
I’d also say from my personal experience that having a ‘portfolio career’ with shorter stints of experience in multiple things can be to your advantage. By framing yourself as a generalist, you can connect trends from one field to another (e.g. animal welfare and journalism) with more credibility than someone who is deeply specialised in just one area.