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You need to hustle like there’s no tomorrow in 2017’s competitive job market to, not only survive, but thrive. Therein, however, lies the problem – focusing on the now can distract you from considering the future, and the future we’re heading to isn’t all sunshine / rainbows.
We reckon it’s possible to keep one eye on the prize RN, as well as one eye on the new economy that’s emerging to redefine the traditional labour force (note: this activity may leave you cross-eyed, but such is life).
With the rise of forces such as the gig economy and automation, failure to upskill progressively may result in you losing your job to a robot – something (which we’re sure you’d agree) that’s best avoided.
Given this changing employment landscape, here are a few skills worth getting amongst to future proof your career.
SKILL: ADAPTABILITY
Yes, appreciating that you’re not the be-all / end-all is a monumental skill. The sooner you come to grips with the gaps in your knowledge, the faster you’ll start succeeding. Constantly putting yourself in a position to self-improve, chiefly through education, will serve you well.
“The importance attributed to the desire for, and ability to undertake lifelong learning is significant,” says Energy Skills Queensland’s CEO Penelope Twemlow. “The rapid and fluid emergence and adoption of technology is expected to continue over the coming decade. To ensure currency, workers in all occupations will be required to continually evolve and learn new skills to work with and compliment such technologies.”
SKILL: KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENCE & TECH
Given that we’re entering into an age where automated machines will reign supreme (and we, for one, welcome our new robot overlords), having skills related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is essential. Think: data analytics skills and website coding.
“The importance of STEM skills within the future world is well documented,” says Twemlow. “So much so that in 2015 the Australian Government concluded that STEM skills are universally accepted as necessary for the future workforce. STEM is found to be critical to the future of all workforces.”
SKILL: CREATIVE THINKING
The idea that all solutions can be derived from crunching numbers is ridiculous (well, at least, in the immediate future). Being able to think creatively breeds critical thinking, and the latter is how strong solutions are born. Oh, and don’t fret if you’ve never picked up a paint brush or attempted to get your Tolkien-on, creative thinking is a skill that can be developed if it’s not something that comes naturally to you.
Infosys, an information technology consulting company, released research earlier this year to get a temperature test of big Aussie businesses’ approach to Artificial Intelligence. Within it, they saw that organisations will still be hungry for creative folks down the line.
“Business leaders recognise the changing nature of work, with employees focussing on more creative strategic work,” say Andrew Groth, VP & Regional Head of Infosys (Australia and New Zealand). “This is leading to demand for skills such as active learning (58%), complex problem solving (53%) and critical thinking (46%). Creativity (46%) and logical reasoning (43%) are also important, highlighting a growing need for employees who can learn quickly, think on their feet and overcome problems efficiently in order to succeed in an AI-driven environment.”
SKILL: READING THE MARKET
Jobs might be disappearing into thin air, but as we’ve seen, the rise of self-started entrepreneurs is only on the incline. Being able to recognise a gap in any given market, jumping on it, and starting your own business to target it can be a far more productive activity than fighting for years to climb a corporate ladder.
“Increasing automation and decreasing jobs is driving the age of the entrepreneur,” says Survive Strive Thrive’s Founder & CEO Jackie Garton. “If you can’t find the job you want or deserve… well, create it for yourself. Successful people will have the ability to adapt, evolve, create a new niche and position themselves as unique.”
Look, we understand if you reckon we’re being a bit extreme with the doomsday talk, but it’s the reality of the situation. The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) believes that 40% of all current jobs won’t exist in 10 to 20 years time… That information isn’t something you’d want to chuck in the ‘I’ll give it some thought later’ pile.
Don’t let a robot steal your job, y’all. Get the upper hand with one of the courses HERE.
Photo: Terminator.
