7 Skills You Need to Build a Thriving Career in Today’s Workplace
The world of work is changing. Automation technologies like artificial intelligence and marketing automation are transforming the way we work. Whether it’s a generational shift or the passage of time, today’s work environment is a far cry from the workforce a few decades ago.
In an era marked by technological advancements, he future of work remains uncertain. Conflicting information leaves plenty of room for debate regarding what jobs will be lost or gained through automation technologies.
Despite little consensus surrounding the future of work, one thing is clear: Job skills must change to meet these developing demands. According to one of the leading recruitment agencies in Dubai, the future of work will demand new skills.
Here is the arsenal of skills one will need to invest in to remain adaptive and build a thriving career in the future workplace:
1. Coding
While not a general requirement, the ability to thoroughly understand computing will remain in high demand. With digital technologies infiltrating every business landscape, even an abstract understanding of computing will be essential.
Understanding the general ideas of automation technologies is almost a guaranteed prerequisite in the future of work. As the marketplace becomes more digital, coding will become a more desirable skill set across all industries.
2. Social connections
Now more than ever, the business landscape has become more globally connected. Predictions on the future of work seem to further emphasize this trend. The ability to connect with others from diverse backgrounds holds significant importance in a more globally connected world.
Businesses that emphasize inclusion and diversity across every level of operations will hold a competitive edge in terms of innovation, business growth and talent acquisition.
3. The rise of data
The nebulous jobs of the future will require data-led insights to inform decision-making processes and determine business growth. Big data is being employed to augment and extend business capabilities. Data analytics and the use of the Internet of Things (IOT) predictions have given rise to a new economy.
This new work economy will require considerable mental flexibility to make sense of complex, rule-based systems. The ability to translate data and transform data-based reasoning into actionable insights is crucial in the future of work.
Determining what is being expressed through data will require novel and adaptive thinking.
4. New media literacy
The state of media environments is constantly in flux. Text-based content has paved the way for visual-based content. The rise of new communication tools is driving new forms of media that require different skill sets.
The new media ecology is putting an emphasis on visual communication media. Beyond social media, virtual and augmented realities (VR and AR) are becoming integral parts of the new vernacular.
Navigating this new media ecology requires the ability to employ these new communication tools. New media literacy will leverage these new media formats to operate in different media landscapes. Critically assessing the right media format will enable you to understand how to maximize content for persuasive communication.
5. Service orientation
The marketplace’s competitive nature is forcing more and more businesses to adopt a service-oriented culture to stand out.
Having strong service orientation skills is necessary for the future of work. A service-based work culture will enable you to become knowledgeable about new customer values. The ability to make sound judgment calls and translate them into relevant product offerings will future-proof your personal brand.
6. Dynamic collaboration
With global connectivity and smart machines becoming important drivers in the future of work, job seekers must be comfortable collaborating in new, dynamic ways. Two converging trends that require the ability to collaborate are the so-called “gig economy†or freelancer economy and a more human-machine workplace.
Both trends require proficiency in adaptive thinking and the ability to connect with others to maximize desired outcomes. Dynamic collaboration is all about changing to meet the circumstances and proficiently working in different cultural and technological settings.
Having strong collaborative skills will lower the barriers to securing job opportunities in the future work landscape.
7. Cognitive flexibility
All of the aforementioned skills require the use of critical thinking and problem-solving. Both are the foundation of cognitive flexibility.
Being able to critically analyze forms of production and value creation will allow you to work in the varied landscape of tomorrow’s work environment. Envisioning breakthroughs and executing them requires powerful cognitive flexibility.
Change will be a constant phenomenon in the future of work. Exceptional cognitive flexibility will enable you to synthesize unrelated information and a wide variety of unstructured data, allowing you to comprehend totally new ideas, concepts, and designs.
Thriving in the future of work
In the modern and future workplace, single skillsets are in decline. As conventional concepts of work break down, job seekers will be required to become adaptive to the changing work environment.
Emerging technologies have brought about plenty of change in the workplace. For some, technology is how we perceive business growth. For others, technology serves to transform current roles and responsibilities.
Thriving in this age of digital disruption will require adjusting your skill sets to adapt to whatever changes the future of work will bring.
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About the Author David Mackenzie
A recruitment professional with over twenty years’ experience in the field and a record of entrepreneurial accomplishment, David is Managing Director and Head of HR at Mackenzie Jones. In 2003, David set up Mackenzie Jones in the UK, growing the business across two offices in London and Birmingham. In 2005 David established Mackenzie Jones in Dubai to serve the Gulf region and neighbouring countries. As the Group MD, David is responsible for the overall direction of the Mackenzie Jones Group including Mackenzie Jones, MumsAtWork, MENA Solutions, Simply Digital and ThinkTech.