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UK

Uma Kalkar

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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.