How to Future-Proof Your Career in the Digital Age – The proliferation of IoT technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and the increased automation of routine tasks in the business world will dramatically change the professional landscape in the coming decade. If you believe your industry or current job role may be left in the dust, you might wonder how to future-proof your career for the digital age. However, there are impactful things you can start doing now to position yourself as a top earner and valuable asset to employers in the years to come, whether you decide to pick up new skills to stay relevant in your current field or change your career into an area like IT, where your growth potential will remain stable for the long haul.
Here are some tips to help you beat the business world to the punch and future-proof your career:
Realize and Hone Your Current Skills
As the professional world becomes increasingly automated, companies will need people with the skills to solve more complex technical problems and make the right calls to keep everything running smoothly. The decision-making, project management, and problem-solving skills you picked up in your current position could give you a leg up in a future high-tech career.
In addition to helping you better steer the tech, honing these “soft skills” will give you an advantage in the job roles that are most resistant to technological advancement, i.e., those careers which require a high level of emotional intelligence, such as teacher, nurse, and psychologist. With this in mind, other highly marketable soft skills in the digital age include verbal communication, empathy, listening, and creativity. If you already have these, ensure you’re ready to sell your talents to potential employers when you re-enter the job market, mainly if you’ve decided IT is the right field. If you’re still choosing between IT and other areas, here are nine compelling reasons to work in technology.
Invest In Self-Education
Self-investment doesn’t have to be a monetary investment but can be an investment of some of your free time. If you’re trying to pick up IT skills, there are numerous online options to help you acquaint yourself with how new technology works and how it’s programmed, maintained, run, and kept secure. Some training options include Skilldacity’s Massive Course Catalog.
Consider looking into certification programs, which are typically flexible, fit your schedule, and are affordable. In addition, certification programs may be a good option once you’ve picked up some of the basic knowledge you need. If you want to get started with certification programs, check out these steps to certification. You can also compare some of today’s most marketable IT certifications from (ISC)² or CompTIA.
Embrace New Technologies
You can stay ahead of the curve and keep up with the latest trends by committing to integrating new technology into your life as it hits the market. For instance, download the latest apps, wire your home with the latest IoT Smart devices, and sign up to attend a local 3-D printing workshop.
By keeping yourself familiar with the latest and most remarkable technologies, you’ll position yourself as a forward-thinking and informed job candidate in the IT realm. Try to have fun with new tech products and see how much you can learn about them through tinkering!
Be Adaptable
If there’s one thing you can count on in terms of both technology and the job market, it’s changed. As a result, high-tech workers must be ready to fully adopt the latest software, devices, applications, and digital tools. Otherwise, they might get left behind while their more adaptable peers climb the ladder to success.
It will benefit you greatly to approach the future of your career with an openness to change and a dedication to being flexible. If you know that you want to change your career into some area of IT, striving to be adaptable is essential. These specific tips for switching careers into IT may help you along the way.
Follow Your Passions
Ideally, you’ll transition into a future career that provides satisfaction and the opportunity to feel passionate about your work. That’s the goal. It’ll be easier to achieve that if you let your passions guide you to particular areas of innovative business and tech.
Ask yourself which areas of technology interest you the most, and then you can dip your toes into those areas through self-education; this will help you decide what you ultimately feel the most passionate about – and what you’re good at. If you let your passions and strengths take the lead, you might be pleasantly surprised by where you end up in your career. And, in terms of overall success on the job, passion helps. Employers will always actively seek employees who are enthusiastic and curious about what they do.
Nourish Your Creative Side
Future jobs will require top performers to be innovators rather than imitators. Employees who can create new products and find creative solutions to problems with current products will lead the pack. Jobs involving rote tasks like crunching numbers will become increasingly obsolete in the coming years because machines can efficiently perform many jobs.
Creativity, an undervalued skill in some niches in the past, will become what employers are looking for in almost every niche in the future. You can hone your creativity in simple ways like taking a painting class, writing short stories as a hobby, trying to design your app, or making new recipes in the kitchen. Of course, these pursuits might translate into something other than immediate, quantifiable results in your career. Still, they will allow you to tap into your innate creative gifts, which could give you a boost in the creative department overall.
On a related note, if you feel like you are already quite creative but often stifle your innovative ideas at work because you’re afraid of how they’ll be perceived, now might be a good time to start sharing your thoughts to get in the habit of being a creative contributor for future roles.
Make Your Professional Connections Matter
The power of networking is one of the few things that won’t change in the foreseeable future, regardless of how the digital age alters the workforce. Getting the job you want is easier if you know the right people – professionals who can introduce you to hiring managers or vouch for your skills if you aim to transfer to a different department at the same company.
Make sure you’re doing your best to cultivate professional relationships that will go the distance. You never know when someone’s good word could catapult you to a more extensive, better career path.
Your future career is in your control, even if variables in the business realm aren’t. By embracing change and new technology and following your passions, you’ll make inevitable transitions in your career smoother and much more satisfying. So what are you waiting for? Now’s a great time to start preparing for your future top job in the digital world!
