If you’ve been employed in your role for some time, and worked in your industry for a while too, you may be thinking about a change in role, and even industry.  But the constant change around you, and the disruption of so many traditional industries with automation, is giving you cold feet to make a move. You may even be wondering if your skills and experience will be valued in this brave new world!

Your Personal Guide to Career Change

Marina-Pitisano-Letz-Create

Marina-Pitisano-Letz-Create

If you are feeling this way, thank goodness you found me! Yes, it’s true that in the upcoming decades, many activities that are currently being carried out by people will be automated. And 67% of Australian students are training for roles that will not exist in the future or will be significantly transformed by automation.

Change is inevitable, and while there are certainly rapid changes all around you, there’s so much you can be doing to help you prepare and future proof yourself for these changes.

 

1. Get Tech Savvy

If you affectionately call yourself a luddite or technophobe, stop! It is no longer acceptable not to be embracing technology. You need to be able to access the odd App on your mobile device (especially LinkedIn) and use the organisation’s customer relationship software and email system! Keep yourself up with technology and you will be very pleasantly surprised at the increased productivity this can offer your working day and your future employability. There are many online resources available to help you learn,. I suggest there are also a number of millennials in your workplace, or perhaps even a handful of teenagers in your family and friend circle who will be more than happy to spend some time with you showing you how to navigate technology.

2. Develop Your Human Skills

I believe it is essential to enhance and develop your ‘human skills’. Some call this the ‘soft skills’ and they’re also called human relational skills. These skills involve communication and attention to relationships with others. If you’re unsure what this means for you, it is related to your emotional intelligence and this Forbes article explores this concept in the context of a leader’s ability to navigate, and even lead, organisational change. Forbes insights with Debutt tell us “the value-add of the human worker will focus on essentially having human skills such as leadership, creativity & emotional intelligence”. It’s worth taking the time to assess your soft skills and develop these further through professional development programs offered within or outside of your current organisation.

3. Passion for Continuous Learning

A life long learner will be open to change and always able to learn something new.  Your openness and ability to learn new skills will be a key lever for how well you can future proof yourself.  In many ways it’s related to my first point.  What is your appetite for acquiring new skills and passions? If you are scared, that’s okay! It’s all about being open to learning and finding the right guides. You’ve found me, and I can help you find others who can help you on your career journey!

4. Think Global

Geographical barriers to business are getting less and less relevant. In this Forbes Article, remote workers are headlined as being ‘The New Normal, and more than half (55%) of hiring managers agree that remote work among full-time permanent employees is becoming more common. While this varies by industry, it is certainly true that your co-workers, clients and stakeholders now, and in the future, can be anywhere in the world.

The implications of this in terms of how to ‘future proof’ yourself are that you you need to acquire the ability to work with the entire marketplace. I suggest you consider and work on the following elements :

  • Learn about working with diverse cultures
  • Ask for assignments that require international exposure
  • Learn to respect difference

5. Develop Resilience

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It’s about how mentally tough you are.  The future is uncertain and you will encounter setbacks. In this article I explore why rejection is sometimes the best teacher, especially when you are in active job search. In this article I explore the one thing you can do when you are feeling stuck.

Developing resilience means you need to toughen up. And this is not always easy! That’s why I am here to help. Building resilience means:

  • Identifying and working on how well you bounce back from setbacks and your ability to let issues go
  • Considering your attitude towards setbacks/obstacles. Do you view these as ‘learning experiences’ or do you let them knock you over emotionally?
  • Identifying how flexible you are when things do not go to plan
  • Your ability to stay positive!

 

The Future Can Be Bright

And so there we have it; my 5 tips for helping you future proof yourself.

It’s up to you.

What can you do this week to make your future brighter?

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