Skills for the Future

What skills do you need for the future?

What skills do you need for the future? That’s the focus of an article published by the World Economic Forum, entitled “Are you ready for the jobs revolution?”

In their article they confirm what we all know – traditional career paths are not going to be a part of the future. Unprecedented rates of change, rapid technical advancement and a generally on-demand culture appear to have sent the job-for-life packing. Younger workers expect to hold as many as 11 jobs across their working lives.

‘…an on-demand approach to work … is spreading through professions and occupations, causing a rise in freelance work and part-time jobs’

 There are shifts, some rises, some declines, in teachable skills, and we have copied this chart below from the WEF to illustrate:

With technological and cultural changes come new opportunities, new jobs, and new ways to contribute. Examples are in social media consulting, space law and data analysis.

Of real significance to our future employability, beyond the positions we have had or the places that we have studied, says the WEF 2016 Human Capital Trends Report, are the skills we learn in the workplace, and our appetite for learning new skills generally. ‘Learnability’ is key, and millennials value skills so highly that they invest their own time and money acquiring them. Employing people who actually want to learn is good for your business.

Now here’s the surprise factor. The WEF (reporting from this Harvard Study,) state:

‘…the jobs that have grown most consistently over the past two decades are those combining strong technical know-how with a single powerful characteristic: being nice.’

Technical skills are only half of the picture. Social skills and the ability to ‘play well’ make the picture whole.

As the job site Monster.com notes, technical skills may get you an interview, but soft skills will get you the job. Read their article ‘6 soft skills everyone needs and employers look for’ to get a sense of soft skills you might want to develop, and for ideas on how to develop them.

What skills are you investing in for the future? How are you doing that? Have you considered IPM as a partner for the skills development you need?