What will your job look like five years from now? Will it even exist in five, 10 or 20 years time? And what will happen to the company you work for and the industry you work in?
We don't know - but fear not, today I will describe 4 ways to future-proof your career.
Intro
Hello and a very warm welcome to Episode No 41 of ‘Your Bravo Career’
My name is Mark Crossfield, I’m a Professional Career Coach / helping you to love your job and build a great career.
This podcast is about why your career matters
How you can enjoy what you are doing day each day at work
and how to build a great career along the way.
Scene setting
So, welcome to episode 41 and we are going to be talking about the future again, this time how to future proof your career.
I hope you managed to listen to episode 40 with Paul Smith and Mary Beth Hazeldine when we talked about how the Metaverse will impact on our jobs and careers.
I had a lot of comments about that episode and about the future of work.
So, today I’m going to talk about 4 ways you can future proof your career.
No news today, so, let’s get straight into it …
Here are my 4 tips to future proof your career.
And the first way you can do this is to …
Keep up to date with technology
The first thing to know is that the world of work is digital and being up to date with the latest technology is essential.
We heard in the last podcast episode didn’t we about how the Metaverse will be with us sooner than we think and being digital savvy and up to date with technology is an absolute requirement of keeping up with these changes.
There are many ways you can do this, and some of the best are to devote time to learning about new technology, connecting with other tech-savvy individuals, or even finding a mentor that can help you.
I also think social media, in particular Twitter, and YouTube can be a great way to find out what’s going on in tech and also to learn some new skills.
So, that’s the first tip – to keep up with technology.
The second way to future proof your career is to:
Broaden your transferrable skills
Transferable skills tend to be those you can take with you throughout your career. These cross-functional skills include project management, problem-solving and critical thinking.
In addition to these, skills with people – teamwork, management and communication, for example, have excellent career longevity.
These transferable skills are desirable because they will likely continue to be important in the workplace of the future and also your employer doesn’t have to worry about training you on them if you already have these skills. You can hit the ground running and start making positive contributions right away.
I’ve put a longer list in the show notes of what I consider to be the most important transferable skills.
1. Problem Solving
2. Analytical Reasoning
3. Critical Thinking
4. Leadership
5. Adaptability
6. Teamwork
7. Communication
8. Writing
9. Listening
10. Creativity
11. Attention to Detail
12. Project Management
13. Relationship Building
14. Computer Skills
15. Management
Ok, so the next way to future proof your career is to
Get Network savvy
Strengthening your professional network provides you with a gateway to access new skills beyond your organisation. Networking also allows you to have much wider visibility giving you more options when looking for a new job or career.
Here are 4 networking actions that are essential to know about.
1. Focus on the strength, not the size of your network
Networking has a bad reputation as a sleazy activity carried out at conferences, seminars, meetings and other professional gatherings. This is not the type of networking I’m suggesting here. Nor do I think it’s a race to have as big a network as you possible can. Instead, networking is about strengthening your existing connections and thinking of them as being part of your support team rather than considering them as just people you happen to know or work with.
2. Keep in touch with your network
Once you have identified your support network, keep in touch with these individuals. The secret here is that regular catch-ups with your network are a better idea than occasional discussions. The more you can connect with and understand these individuals, the more you will deepen your connection.
As you keep in touch with your network, remember key facts about their role and what challenges they are dealing with. Get to know them better and focus on their world before you think about asking for assistance in your career.
3. Add value to your network
Networking is a 2-way arrangement, so always be on the lookout for how you can add value to your network. You can do this in several ways:
- Ask how you can help them in their role and what support they may need
- Look out for ways you can support them and provide assistance
- Share information and resources that can help them
- Be a good ally
And finally …
4. When you need career support – ask!
Finally, if you need support from your network just ask. Let them know what support you are looking for. This could be:
Do you know anybody that can help me with learning a new skill?
Who can I speak to about finding a mentor?
And, of course,
I’m looking for a new project management role. Do you know of any roles that are available right now?
Don’t be surprised if these questions lead to helpful resources, giant leaps and, of course, open doors in your career!
If networking is new to you, LinkedIn is a great starting point. Remember if you do to
connect with me.
Ok, let’s move on to the final way to future proof your career …
And that is …
Being adaptable
Adaptability skills show employers that you're motivated and willing to learn new skills that exceed expectations.
Those skills demonstrate your ability to embrace change, face challenges with a positive mindset, and solve issues with a solution-oriented approach.
The mindset here of course is a Growth Mindset.
Much of our understanding of Growth Mindsets comes from Carol Dweck, and her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Dweck showed how changing to a Growth Mindset can have a profound impact on nearly every aspect of your life.
This is a very helpful summary of the Growth Mindset which I recommend that you watch. I will put the
link in the shown notes.
Those with a growth Mindset recognise that challenges can be overcome with persistence, strategy and learning from mistakes.
With a growth mindset you embrace challenges and persist in the face of setbacks. Effort is seen as a path to excellence and to mastery.
For your career, this results in higher levels of achievement, satisfaction and a greater sense of free will.
And, who wouldn’t want that?
Summary
So, there you have 4 ways to future-proof your career.
Start today by auditing your current skillset and considering which skills could boost your long-term employability.
Focus on Technology,
Transferable skills,
Networking and
Adaptability.
Once you've identified those areas of improvement, develop a personal learning plan to structure how you will gain those skills. There are many helpful e-learning platforms you can use to learn these skills, such as Skillshare or Udemy. Or even good old YouTube!
So, that’s it! We’ve come to the end of another episode.
I hope you enjoyed the show.
If you haven’t already subscribed, why not do that now. I’ve got a special guest on the next podcast who I’m excited to talk with. I think you will enjoy the conversation as well …
Have a wonderful week and I will speak to you again in a couple of weeks time.
Bye for now.