In Call of Cthulhu from Chaosium there are the different Occupations in the rule book such as Athlete, Author, Dilletatte, Clergy, Parapycholigist, and Policeman to name a few of the 28 Occupations listed in the main rule book. In ADnD there were the secondary occupations, listing all manner of Medieval Jobs such as Mason, Carpenter, Hunter, Millwright, were the sorts of entries made.
Move onto d20 Modern, a much more recent release and in there we can find 19 Starting Occupations, such as Academic, Celebrity, Dilettante, Entrepreneur, and White Collar, covering a broad swath of 1990s/2000 sorts of overall fields.
NOTE: There is a lot of overlap between the two games of CoC and d20Modern. Both are covering roughly the same sort of timeperiod in history. With Human Existence being about 50k years, then the time from the 1920s to 2000 is just a tiny speck.
Three different examples from 3 genres/areas. Still there are overalaps between them all. There is Education, Military, Clergy, Craftsman in all of them.
So for more modern and potentially futuristic games and settings what sorts of careers / occupations are there. An idea, a concept, I have been mulling for a while. So here is a starting list of more 2012 and beyond careers, pulled from a variety of sources. These are suitable for other genres besides Modern and Horror. They can apply to near future, covering such genres as Cyberpunk or Singulairty/Transhuman. They can apply to any setting that has a current component to it. Change up the words or what it deals with and it can apply to Steampunk or Clockpunk (Insert Steam or Mechanical into pretty much anything and it might apply).
List of New Occupations (Because we gamers do like our lists) Of course this is not completely inclusive, but it will give some ideas:
NOTE: These are all real job titles...all 244 of them
| Account Executive |
| Account Manager |
| Account Representative I |
| Account Representatives / Agents |
| Accountant |
| Accounting Manager |
| Accounts Payable Clerk |
| Acoustic Archeologist |
| Acoustic Ecologist |
| Adjuster, insurance - inside homeowner claims |
| Admin Assistant / Ops Manager |
| Administrative Assistant |
| Air Conditioning Technician |
| AML Operations CAO Initiatives Project Manager |
| Application Architect |
| Application Developer - SQL, .Net, C#, JavaScript |
| Application Support Specialist |
| Appointment Setter |
| AS/400 - RPG Senior Programmer Analysts |
| Assistant Director of Nursing |
| Assistant Operations Manager |
| Assistant Vice President, Creative Development |
| Audit Associate |
| Aural Architect |
| Auto Property Damage Adjuster |
| Automotive Technician |
| Bilingual Billing Supervisor |
| Billing and Enrollment Specialist (Commercial Insurance) |
| Body Injury Supervisor |
| Business Analyst |
| Business Development Manager |
| Business Systems Analyst - Lead |
| Cable Technician |
| Call Center Operations Unit Manager |
| Caregiver (CNA/HHA) |
| Case Manager - IT Forward Civic Justice Corps |
| Case Manager I (Concurrent Review) |
| Cashier |
| CEI Contract Support Specialist |
| CEI Senior Roadway/Bridge Inspector |
| Center Receptionist |
| Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) |
| Certified Sr. DOT Field Technican |
| Certified Surgical Tech - Labor and Delivery - Celebration Health - Nights |
| Chief Building Engineer |
| CISSP Enforcement Specialist |
| Claims Approver Long Term Care |
| Claims Coach |
| Claims Representative - Liability |
| Clinical Research Coordinator Direct Hire |
| CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Operator and Programmer |
| CNC Machinist |
| Collections Agent |
| Commercial Banking Assistant, Full Time |
| Commercial Loan Servicing Administration Director |
| Commercial Real Estate Servicing Generalist |
| Commercial Truck Rental Representative |
| Commercial Truck Technician |
| Concrete Finisher |
| Construction Mobile Building Installer/CDL Driver |
| Consumer Loan Underwriter |
| Contract Occupational Therapy |
| Contract Specialist |
| Cook |
| Coordinator, Fulfillment/Records Management |
| Corporate Trainer |
| Cost Estimator |
| Credit Representative |
| Credit Risk Analyst |
| Custodian |
| Customer Care Representative I |
| Customer Service Agent |
| Customer Service Representative |
| Customer Service/Technical Support Specialist |
| Cyber CI Audit Rules Policy Engineer |
| Cyber CI Auditor |
| Cyber Forensics and Network Warfare Analyst |
| Cyber Warfare Program Analyst |
| Data Security Analyst |
| Delivery Driver |
| Dialysis Patient Care Technician |
| Dining Room Server |
| Director, Performance Improvement - RN |
| Distribution Manager |
| District Sales Manager |
| Driver |
| Driver Helper |
| Early Childhood Education Coordinator |
| Echo Technologist PRN /INT |
| Education Specialist |
| Electrician |
| Electrician Apprentice |
| Electrician Helper |
| Electronics Engineer - Analog & Digital Circuit Design |
| Elementary Instructional Aide |
| Elementary Perm Substitute |
| Employability Skills Instructor |
| Employee Communications Manager |
| Employment and Training Coordinator |
| Enrollment & Advertising Consultant |
| Enrollment Services Specialist |
| Event Specialists/Product Demonstrators |
| Executive Chef |
| Executive Housekeeper |
| Experienced Driller |
| Facilities and Fleet Coordinator |
| Facilities Building Tech A |
| Facilities Custodian |
| Facility Maintenance |
| Field Compliance Inspector |
| Field Operations Manager |
| File Clerk |
| Food Service Assistant |
| Foreman / Crew Leader |
| Forklift and Truck Mechanic |
| Forklift Operator - General Warehouse |
| Fraud Intake Coordinator |
| Front Desk Sales & Service Representative |
| Front Office Assistant/Medical Assistant |
| General Staff Accountant |
| Housekeeper |
| Housekeeping Inspector |
| Housekeeping Manager |
| Houseman |
| HR Functional Specialist |
| HR Specialist |
| HVAC Apprentice |
| HVAC installer |
| HVAC Mechanic Journeyman |
| Hyperion Systems Administrator |
| Industrial Sheet Metal Mechanic |
| Information Technology Technician |
| Infrastructure Project Manager |
| Inside Sales Associate |
| Intake Coordinator |
| Irrigation Technician |
| IT Project Manager |
| Kennel Tech |
| Landscape Foreman |
| Laundry Supervisor |
| Lawn Maintenance Worker |
| Lead Analysts |
| Lead Direct Support Professional |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) |
| Life Insurance Sales Agent |
| Line Cook |
| Maintenance Mechanic |
| Maintenance Supervisor |
| Management Assistant |
| Manager - Food and Beverage |
| Manager of Import Accounting & Compliance |
| Manager of Project Management |
| Manufacturing Assistant |
| Manufacturing Process Supervisor |
| Marketing and Communications Officer |
| Marketing Coordinator |
| Marketing Manager (Media Relations) |
| Marketing/PR Communications Manager |
| Mechanical / Technical Service Specialist Opportunities Job |
| Medical Appointment Clerk |
| Medical Assistant |
| Medical Billing Manager |
| Medical Receptionist-Starts Immediately |
| Medicare Provider Relations Rep II - 20872 |
| Mental Health Technician |
| Mentor Coordinator |
| Merchandising and Pricing Lead |
| Mortgage Specialist |
| Multi-craft Industrial Machinery Mechanic |
| Multidisciplinary Analyst |
| Night Auditor |
| Nurse Assistant Training Instructor |
| Nurse Manager Quality |
| Occupational Therapist |
| Office Assistant |
| Oncology Technician |
| Optical Management Technology & Opticianry Instructor |
| Painter / Powder Coater |
| Partner Manager-OEM - MicroStrategy |
| Personal Banker |
| Physical Therapist |
| Physical Therapist Assistant |
| PIP Claims Supervisor |
| Pipefitter |
| Polisher |
| Portable Restroom Service Driver |
| Powder Coat Supervisor/Powder Coater |
| Press Brake Operator |
| Process Technician |
| Processing Associate |
| Product Manager |
| Program Coordinator |
| Project Coordinator |
| Project Management Assistant |
| Project Manager |
| Property Associate |
| Psychoacoustitician |
| Purchasing Manager |
| Quality Assurance Specialist |
| Radio Frequency Technician |
| Receiving Associate |
| Receptionist |
| Recreation Attendant |
| Recruitment & Placement Manager |
| Regional Director of Managed Care Contracting |
| Registered Nurse |
| Reliability Engineer |
| Report Writer |
| Residential Service Plumbers |
| Restaurant Cashier |
| Restaurant Purchasing Manager |
| Route Sales Driver |
| Sales Account Manager |
| SAP FICO - Specialist Senior |
| Scaffold Builder |
| Seasonal Sales Associate |
| Security Officer |
| Semi Truck Driver |
| Senior Account Executive |
| Senior Personal Injury Protection Claims Adjuster |
| Senior Software Engineer |
| Senior Tradesworker |
| Senior Workers' Compensation Lost Time Claims Adjuster |
| Service Electrician |
| Service Technician |
| Shipping/Receiving Supervisor |
| Software Engineer - Android Development |
| Sound Designers |
| Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) |
| SQL Database Administrator |
| Sr. Risk Representative |
| Store Manager |
| Surgical Technologist |
| Sustainability Manager |
| Systems Administrator |
| Systems Administrator/Developer |
| Title Examiner |
| Tractor Trailer Driver |
| Transportation Specialist |
| Trauma Nurse Coordinator Clinical Education/Performance Improvement |
| Web Developer - ASP.NET - C# - PHP |
| Welder |
| Workers' Compensation Adjuster |
| Yard Laborer |
Sources:
Dwell Magazine November 2012 Issue
TV Commercials
Job Searches on Job Boards
