Change is inevitable and always has been, hasn’t it? However, the 21st century has seen the most change in the history of humankind, with the fast-paced advancement of tech. Considering this, it comes as no surprise that employers are demanding more and more that their employees stay up-to-date. According to McKinsey & Company’s predictions, 30 to 40 percent of all workers may need to move into new occupations.
If you’re already in the workforce and want to continue escalating in your career, the most important thing you should do is constantly evaluate yourself as a whole: do you have what it takes to survive when the next wave of changes hits? Here are some of the areas employees are expected to excel in the future.
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Advanced Tech Literacy
It is no secret that work these days is invariably reliant on tech, so basic knowledge is mandatory for even the most menial work. However, if you really want to step up your game and aim for better jobs, you might want to look into some more specific skills, like cybersecurity, an area with a very promising outlook.
According to Dr. Jane LeClair, Chief Operating Officer at the National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College, half of the small businesses that suffer cyber-attacks will go out of business. That gives you an idea of how important cybersecurity can be for a business, and what a valuable skill it is and will be for your future career.
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Adaptability to Remote Work
Remote work has been on a steady rise for years now due to its benefits for budget reduction and multitasking. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2020, it looks like this is going to turn into more of a necessity than an option.
Younger workers are also looking for this flexibility, and companies are adapting to offer this type of position more often. This is why it is vital for anybody in the work market to be able to successfully perform in this tech-reliant context. It is a matter of time until remote work is the norm and not the exception.
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Knowledge in Data Science
In this day and age, big data is growing and evolving, and thus becoming more and more important and prevalent in companies. Data is a tool that reaches all areas, and it can be worked into the goals of any enterprise.
As such, learning how to analyze and understand this information, even if it is not your exact area of expertise, is going to be key in every workplace. Getting ahead of everyone’s game could be your ticket to success.
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A Thirst for Knowledge
As much as you prepare yourself academically for the future, there is no way to know everything. That’s normal, human, and expected, but the truly important thing is to be ready to learn and to be constantly thirsty for knowledge.
Success requires proactivity and initiative. Gone are the days when completing specific tasks was enough to get by in your career; now you must constantly find ways to learn, to instruct yourself in all the areas that this new world we live in encompasses.
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Ability to Change
You have probably seen how fast things are changing, and there you can pinpoint one of the secrets to success in the future of the world: adaptability. There is no guaranteed status quo, and it is up to you to understand tech (its main driver) to keep up and anticipate where the tide is going, and what new skills are expected of you in this ever-evolving world.
Conclusion:
After all the points we have covered, it must be clear to you what are the two main aspects that will determine how your professional future will look like. These are, of course, education and adaptability. They go hand-in-hand, and if you do your part to keep understanding and being able to perform whatever new tasks are thrown at you, you will continuously succeed. Remember that everything is teachable, and you can learn it.
Photo by Werner Du plessis on Unsplash
