In the future, your job could cease to exist. It could also have evolved. Or it could still be quite relevant to society.
As organizations become more affected by the disruptions of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, environmental change, global connectedness, and the rise of the remote worker, they’ll have to continually modify the job they offer. Nobody can fully predict the future or what needs the economy and society may have in 10 years time, so while you may not be able to know for certain what your career in 2030 is going to look like, what you can do right now is prepare for the career paths of tomorrow.
Are you building the right skills for the jobs of the future?
Before you start to map out your 10-year career goals, you need to understand why and how these workplace changes are happening and what forces will have the biggest impact on organizations. Based on that knowledge, you can plan how to get yourself job-ready.
CREATE (the Global Consortium to Reimagine HR, Employment Alternatives, Talent, and the Enterprise) has identified five fundamental forces and how they’ll affect the professional landscape of the future¹:
1: How organizational rearrangement will change job demand
Organizations will become more flexible and transparent, with a focus on project-based relationships and business sustainability. Leadership will become more horizontal and shared as increased social and external collaborations breakdown the traditional hierarchical model.
Important job roles:
Will you move up into management?
With Business Insider listing “general and operations managers” as their second most in-demand professional field for 2024, it’s probably a good idea to build a skill set now that could put you ahead of the game in the management industry.
Currently, the third most difficult positions for South African businesses to fill our management and executive roles – a trend that is predicted to continue for the next 10 years. Which means you could be the working professional who fills that gap – whether that’s optimizing and refining business processes through an integrated improvement methodology, navigating the project-based approach of future organizational structures, or offering operational expertise.
2. How an increasingly global and diverse talent pool will shape job creation
The workforce will become increasingly multinational and diverse, while the workspace will become more flexible and agile. There will be a need to modify policies, salaries, benefits, and office layouts, to accommodate the needs of the new professional.
Important job roles:
Are you the talent management professional of the future?
In the words of Harvard Business School, “Managing multigenerational workforces is art itself. Young workers want to make a quick impact, the middle generation needs to believe in the mission, and older employees don’t like doubt”.
If you start to develop a strong portfolio of skills now, you could become a key coordinator in retaining and engaging this diverse workforce of the future, while also managing and implementing changes within the workplace.
3. How to prepare for working in a connected world
As virtual devices enable workplace interactions and communication to happen anywhere, at any time, job roles and careers become increasingly redefined to fit into these boundaryless models.
Important job roles:
- Internet of Things Specialist
- Information Systems Manager
- App Developer
- Cloud Computing Manager
- Cybersecurity Manager
4. How to adapt to rapid technological change
Artificial intelligence, robots, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things is reshaping the world of work into an ecosystem that demands a workforce who can handle uncertainty, adapt to frequent changes, engage with automation and develop their knowledge when certain skills become obsolete.
According to a Pew Research Center report, robotics and artificial intelligence “will permeate wide segments of daily life by 2025, with a huge conclusion for a range of industries such as healthcare, transportation, and logistics”.
Important job roles:
- Data Analyst
- Big Data Analyst
- Fintech Entrepreneur
- AI Specialist
- IT professional
- Healthcare Practitioner
Do you want to take your tech skills into healthcare?
According to a recent report by MarketsandMarkets, the US Health IT market is expected to reach $104 billion by the year 2020, at a compound annual growth rate of 13,5% between 2015 and 2020.
Naturally, this growth has and will continue to create a demand for staff and faculty who have experience and knowledge within this field – which means you have an opportunity now to start developing your tech skills in order to have a significant impact on the healthcare industry in the future.
5. How collaboration between humans and robots will change the professional environment
As big data, analytics and artificial intelligence take over work that was previously performed by humans, new job roles will start to open up. These will be focused on skills such as monitoring, creating, operating or designing automated and online processes.
Important job roles:
Take action: Education and an attitude of lifelong learning are going to become more crucial than ever. By constantly learning new skills, updating your current skill set, or experimenting in different in industries, you’re guaranteed to be prepared for the job roles of the future.
Don’t Forget To check our previous blog:
The Best Career Books To Read.