THE FUTURE OF work may seem far away right now. It would be easy to assume that the big changes that will rock our workplaces won’t happen for another few decades. Heck, you might even be retired, right? Wrong!
The future of work is happening every single day in every single office, school, garage and restaurant around the world. Technology is moving the world forward and it’s taking us along with it. Every new technology you add to your team and every piece of software that you update is contributing.
Here’s how you can help future-proof your employment for the long run.
If you thought your education stopped the day you left college then you are sorely mistaken . This may have been true 20 or 30 years ago but it certainly is not the case today. If you want to survive in the modern workplace then you will have to be adaptable and you will have to be constantly learning.
These new skills can be taught through informal and formal learning. Never turn down an opportunity to upskill. It could be as simple as asking a colleague to teach you a new process or taking a part-time night class. Education is easily carried and you should be trying to have as much as you can.
Because the future is so uncertain you will undoubtedly come across setbacks along the way. Sometimes these setbacks will seem so monumental that you won’t even know how to continue.
The people that will be successful in the future will be the people that can bounce back. The people that that work through the hard times. The people who will see these negatives as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Developing your resilience can take time but there are a few things that you can do to help. Evaluate and affirm your strengths on a regular basis, monitor your progress often and work on your flexibility.
You really can’t overestimate the power of your network. A strong network comprised of successful people pertaining to your field will be key to securing employment in the future.
Not only will you learn a lot from these people, you are also more likely to score a referral. If you want to grow an impressive network you need to work at it.
Keep track of former colleagues and bosses, attend seminars and conferences, always collect the contact details of the people you meet along the way.
Everything from visiting your GP to ordering your lunch has gone digital. More and more transactions and interactions are being completed online. If you want to be employable in the future then you need to get comfortable with the technology.
As more and more companies go global it simply won’t be enough to be ‘proficient at Microsoft Office’. You’ll need to know how to analyse data, grow an audience and basic coding. These are the digital skills that employers will actually need.
The future is changing the way that we work. There’s no going back. You can either get with the times or get left behind.
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