2021 has been a year of great disruption. The pandemic continued to make steady progress through the Greek alphabet (Hello, Omicron, the latest variant of COVID-19, otherwise known as the “small o” or the 15th letter in Greek). Meanwhile the 4th Industrial Revolution is continuing to disrupt the job market with improvements in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Robotics, Genetic Engineering and more.
The boundaries between the physical and digital world are blurring more with each passing month. Cryptocurrency has become even more important, and now we are stepping into the Metaverse with more companies embracing this virtual world, ever since Facebook made its famous announcement. The job market of the future is going to be a very different one, with many jobs being replaced by new technologies, and new jobs emerging.
The World Economic Forum predicts several changes in the job market in the next few years, with a greater focus on new technologies, the green economy, the creator economy and the care economy.
It’s truly a new world…and as the year draws to a close, here are some things you can do for your career to prepare for a future-proof 2022:
Build Your Network
Networking is often overlooked as a frivolous and time consuming activity, but don’t ever overestimate the value of a strong network. Your friends from high school may not be working in the same industry as you, but they might just know something, or somebody who could lead your next big opportunity. It’s important to keep growing your network and keep building new connections. If you aren’t sure of your networking skills, we have some useful tips in the communications module in our 101 Course for Durable Skills.
Prepare for Reviews and Interviews
As the year draws to a close, take a step back to review your progress this year. Have you achieved everything you set out to do? Have you made significant progress towards achieving your career goals? For those who are already working, this is a good time to look at your performance this year, and prepare for reviews with your peers and clients. You might also want to prepare for interviews for promotions and jobs, and enter 2022 with a future-proof mind-set!
Explore Trends in the Job Market
Automation is going to replace many roles in the next five years. According to the Future Of Jobs Report by World Economic Forum, “machines will be primarily focused on the tasks of information and data processing and retrieval, administrative tasks and some aspects of traditional manual labour. The tasks where humans are expected to retain their comparative advantage include managing, advising, decision-making, reasoning, communicating and interacting.” This might be a good time to explore trends in the job market and track the jobs that are being replaced by machines, so that you’re ready for an increasingly uncertain future.
Learn Something New
This is the right time to upgrade your skills and learn something new. Find out your future-readiness by taking the Adaptiv challenge, or sign up for a course to learn about a new technology, or tool that might be useful in your career.
We have recently launched an exclusive 101 course on Blockchain in partnership with KCL Blockchain Society, as well as an introduction to Digital Product Building. Watch this space for more courses to improve your future-readiness.
Invest In Yourself
Your career is important, but not at the expense of your health. If you’re feeling burnt out, this is the right time to slow down and take care of yourself. With the entire world in vacation mode, you can also take some time off during the holidays for yourself. Spend some time exploring your options and preparing yourself for 2022.
