6 Skills to Future-Proof Your Career

Ding-ding-ding, have you heard? It’s 2030, and you are out of work (and a job)! Wait, what? Not to be dramatic, but it’s possible — especially if your vocation isn’t anything that’s currently trending or seems like something that’ll be trending in the future. The worst part? It’s not only your career that’s in jeopardy of becoming irrelevant… it’s virtually everyone’s.

Well, almost everyone’s.

As not all professions are created equal, so aren’t their respective cancellations.

Depending on where you are currently with your profession, knowledge, the industry you are in, and your future business orientation, your job is, more or less, secured. Although, these days, everything’s up in the air when it comes to job retention and skill upgrade, it’s necessary we accept that global business changes are coming, and they are here to stay.

So, what do we do? The only thing we can do — arm ourselves with readiness and grab any and all opportunities we can to learn new things, upgrade, and stay ahead of business surprises. After all, only by continually pushing ourselves can we stay/become relevant.

What Do the Experts Say?

Experts scanning the market have already predicted that numerous technological, socio-economic, and demographic changes will entirely transform the way our global market is operating at this time.

Just look at it this way: Ten years ago, the majority of currently in-demand skills didn’t even exist. Cloud computing, SEO Marketing, Content Writing, etc. were merely ideas, if that. Today, there’s hardly a company that doesn’t need these services.

This implies that both people who get to the employable age by 2030 along with those looking to continue their employment by that time or later must master specific skills to excel in the future.

Here are 6 skills you should possess to future-proof your career:

1. Be Tech-Savvy

Even if new developments don’t seem directly related to your current job, push yourself to keep your technical skills up to date. If you don’t, you are running the risk of having to catch up on a massive amount of tech content before you can head off in a new professional direction (if needed in the future).

The bad news is that being tech-savvy no longer means being able to operate the cloud and understand when not to click “next” on a program you are installing. Now, it’s all about becoming familiar with (or learning) virtual whiteboards, coding, AI, wearable technology, and a bunch of other things.

Here’s a piece of advice: even if you are working in a company that’s requiring bare minimum (tech-wise), learn things independently, and do it for you.

2. Develop Skills to Carry with You

Tying your professional development solely to your current company is professional suicide.

Instead, learn transferable skills you’ll be able to use in virtually every (new) company you step into. Skills such as communication, leadership, stress management, innovation, SEO marketing, and similar are key competencies in the jobs of today and tomorrow.

3. Think Globally

Businesses are more global and culturally diverse than ever before, and this is your chance to spread your wings! The more diverse your experience is, the more attractive you’ll be to new employers. So, no matter how wonderfully your local business community may have served you so far, it’s time you started thinking globally.

Open your mind to new techniques, attitudes, and opportunities by finding out about your sector in other territories.

P.S. Learning a new language is always a plus!

4. Keep Your Eye Out on The Prize

Being good at what you do means focusing on improvement, fresh things, trends, and changes. This is true for the upcoming times, as well.

Follow changes and trends in your industry and profession, as well as in the wider economy. Keep yourself informed and make it your goal to work in industries with long-term sustainability.

5. Fight AI with Creativity, Compassion, and Improvisation

The fear of AI taking our jobs is as reasonable as it isn’t. While AI has initially been introduced into our lives to make things easier, the machines are getting smarter by the day, “threatening” to replace a number of currently existing professions. However, the experts say that the fact that some occupations will be replaced by the AI doesn’t mean the loss of professions in general; it only means the birth of new ones to be occupied by humans.

Yay, more learning for us, right? Oh, well.

Although robots can focus on specific tasks (and do them brilliantly), that’s pretty much all they can do. This linear AI “thinking” can’t replace the human power of improvisation and creativity. As humans, we can “disobey” rules and improvise with virtually any task we are assigned.

Jobs like local tour guides, creative writers, hairdressers, make-up artists, florists, painters, and similar professions are highly unlikely to be replaced by a robot because they require on-the-spot thinking, improvisation, and creativity.

The same goes for professions that require compassion and empathy. Professions such as therapists, fitness trainers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, veterinarians, etc. are very much going to be a part of our future. Why? Because AI, no matter how advanced, will never feel a human being like another human will.

6. Keep a Clear Path Open

It is an unfortunate fact of life that ten years from now, you may not be in your current profession at all. As the business market demands change faster than anyone could have predicted, you must keep a clear path open and be ready to switch business lanes entirely. To fully optimize your potential, you must have an alternative available that comes in handy at the time of a career/job switch.

The best way to go about this is to find professions similar to yours (or professions you find close to your personal interests, skills and talents) that are predicted to exist in the future. Then, invest time and effort to learn more about them.

Final Thoughts

The times we live in are anything but simple and predictable. If anything, they are all about sudden, dramatic breakthroughs, turbulent changes, and unexpected shifts in expectations and business dynamics. This means we are looking at progressive business patterns that may put our livelihoods at risk if we’re not quick enough to land on our feet, especially if our professions are (slightly) “behind the times” (read: aren’t tech and digitally progressive enough).

So, to prevent a catastrophe from happening, arm yourself with the advice above, and start upgrading yourself today!