Preparing For The Future Of Work: Phyllis Mooney of Pace University On The Top Five Trends To Watch In The Future Of Work
An Interview with Phil La Duke
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There have been major disruptions in recent years that promise to change the very nature of work. From the ongoing shifts caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the impacts caused by automation, and other possible disruptions to the status quo, many wonder what the future holds in terms of employment. For example, a report by the McKinsey Global Institute that estimated automation will eliminate 73 million jobs by 2030.
To address this open question, we reached out to successful leaders in business, government, and labor, as well as thought leaders about the future of work to glean their insights and predictions on the future of work and the workplace.
As a part of this interview series called “Preparing For The Future Of Work”, we had the pleasure to interview Phyllis A. Mooney.
For ten years, Phyllis A. Mooney has guided college students on all aspects of their journeys from classroom to fulfilling careers across sectors from finance and cybersecurity to marketing or arts management. As executive director of career services for Pace University — ranked by Harvard’s Opportunity Insights as the top private institution for economic mobility — Mooney excels in not just addressing employers’ current needs, but in identifying emerging trends and arming students to succeed in a fluid workforce environment — whether that involves keeping skills fresh or translating experiences to new sectors or positions. Mooney is committed to the transformative power of higher education especially with regard to its impact on an individual’s economic security.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers like to get an idea of who you are and where you came from. Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where do you come from? What are the life experiences that most shaped your current self?
I was born, raised, educated in New Jersey (kindergarten through Seton Hall Law School!) and live here. I am the youngest of three children in my family, and the first to graduate college in my family. Being a first-generation college student and a young professional presented far different and greater challenges than I ever anticipated. I thought getting great grades in school would be enough to succeed and it was not. That is why I was so compelled to join Pace University and lead their career services office. Pace has a significant population of first-generation students and is nationally acclaimed for the upward economic mobility of our graduates.
What do you expect to be the major disruptions for employers in the next 10–15 years? How should employers pivot to adapt to these disruptions?
We don’t know what’s ahead as far as major disruptions. In fact, employers are trying to find solutions to the current major unexpected disruption — the great resignation! Employers should be working more closely with colleges and universities in building talent pipelines. And since it is such an employee market, they should be spending more time on the values and benefits of their organization over others. The tables have turned! The good news, Pace Career Services provides numerous opportunities and platforms (virtual and live) for employers to engage and meet with their next and best generation of employees.
The choice as to whether or not a young person should pursue a college degree was once a “no-brainer”. But with the existence of many high profile millionaires (and billionaires) who did not earn degrees, as well as the fact that many graduates are saddled with crushing student loan debt and unable to find jobs it has become a much more complex question. What advice would you give to young adults considering whether or not to go to college?
Don’t second guess the return on investment of a college education. At Pace the average full-time starting salaries of our Bachelor graduates is around $57,000. And for our more technical majors such as careers in the health professions, those average starting salaries are around $80,000. Having a college degree is basically an insurance policy for future success and financial security. Not having one is a very big risk.
Despite the doom and gloom predictions, there are, and likely still will be, jobs available. How do you see job seekers having to change their approaches to finding not only employment, but employment that fits their talents and interests?
The job market is on fire right now as the economy recovers from the pandemic. The challenge the average Pace student faces is the volume of job choices across all industries. We encourage students to make informed choices first through online research and networking, participation in our very robust menu of employer programs, and then of course through internships. Our office has been very, very busy!
The statistics of artificial intelligence and automation eliminating millions of jobs, appears frightening to some. For example, Walmart aims to eliminate cashiers altogether and Dominos is instituting pizza delivery via driverless vehicles. How should people plan their careers such that they can hedge their bets against being replaced by automation or robots?
I’ve been watching the stats on this for some time now, and admittedly these reports can be very frightening! One thing I noticed though is that a lot of jobs that are pegged to become obsolete, are typically low skill jobs that don’t require a college degree. The best insurance against losing your job to a robot, is to have a college degree. At Pace, all undergraduate students benefit from a broad-based liberal arts degree with industry current skills depending upon their major, that set them up for long, ever-evolving and prosperous professional careers.
Technological advances and pandemic restrictions hastened the move to working from home. Do you see this trend continuing? Why or why not?
It depends. Many employers who were able to successfully transition their workforce to a remote operation during the pandemic, are currently pondering what to do moving forward. It’s going to be awhile until these employers define and commit to a way forward, as so many factors need to be considered including operation costs, customer preferences, employee preferences, competition, impact on culture and impact on innovation. Pace students are telling us they want to go to an office!
What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support the fundamental changes to work?
Inclusivity!
What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employers to accept?
The majority of employers who recruit at Pace are sincerely committed to becoming a more diverse and inclusive place to work. For our very diverse student body at Pace, it’s about each student finding the right employer for them where they can thrive and succeed. That’s why we host so many employer programs where employers can meet our students, and learn from each other during the process. We also encourage our students to complete multiple internships while a student, to test first hand where employers are on the inclusivity scale.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped highlight the inadequate social safety net that many workers at all pay levels have. Is this something that you think should be addressed? In your opinion how should this be addressed?
Socially, I don’t know what the right answer is. Individually, I go back to education. When we shifted as a society from in person to remote, the vast majority of professionals (at all levels), were able to make the seamless transition and were not financially impacted. In fact, we all heard the stories of how so many professionals enjoyed a windfall during this time because among many factors they no longer had the cost of commuting and dining out!
Despite all that we have said earlier, what is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?
Generally speaking, I think we are going to see greater flexibility in work arrangement which will create more work life balance for all. I’m especially excited to see how Pace employers have prioritized diversity and inclusion and are working strategically with our office to create talent pipelines to meet their DEI goals. Overall, I’m very excited for Pace students knowing that they are going to have greater flexibility in their work arrangements when the need for flexibility arises in their lives, and that they are going to be working within very diverse, thriving teams. I wish I could start all over again!
Historically, major disruptions to the status quo in employment, particularly disruptions that result in fewer jobs, are temporary with new jobs replacing the jobs lost. Unfortunately, there has often been a gap between the job losses and the growth of new jobs. What do you think we can do to reduce the length of this gap?
Once again, I go back to education. A college degree affords you flexibility and agility in changing job markets. And keep the learning going. Take advantage of your alma maters’ continuing education offerings, such as Pace’s Office of Professional Education and Special Programs.
Okay, wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Watch In the Future of Work?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Don’t Get too Comfy in Your Current Work Space.
Many employers who were able to successfully transition their workforce to a remote operation during the pandemic, are currently pondering what to do moving forward. It’s going to be awhile until these employers define and commit to a way forward, as so many factors need to be considered including operation costs, customer preferences, employee preferences, competition, impact on culture and impact on innovation. Students entering the workforce need to know that the work arrangement they start out in a job could change quickly, and they will be expected to adapt without fuss.
2. The 9–5, Five- Days-A-Week, Work Week Is a Thing of the Past.
For professionals, the 9–5, five-days-a-week work week pretty much died years ago with the BlackBerry. Since then, many more sophisticated high-speed devises have successfully hit the market that keep employees connected to their jobs 24/7. And let’s not forget all the newly equipped home offices employees created in the pandemic — they are here to stay! All of this accessibility and flexibility is great for everyone IF it’s managed responsibly. Employers who are committed to attracting and RETAINING the best and most DIVERSE talent will continue to create, enforce and emulate policies around work/life balance. Do your research to find these great places to work.
3. Keep Learning New Skills.
Continuous upskilling will be your responsibility. It is predicted that jobs that will exist 20 years from now have not been invented yet! Fortunately, there is a lot of free content on the internet you can take advantage of including e-learning, seminars and webinars. Also, stay connected to your alma mater — chances are they will offer accessible and affordable post graduate courses and certificate programs to their alumni.
4. Master LinkedIN.
In less than 20 years, LinkedIn has grown to be an immensely powerful professional tool for networking, learning and opportunities. Make sure you visit your college career center to learn how to properly use and leverage the enormous benefits of this platform before you graduate.
5. Public Speaking is The Timeless Skill.
The earlier you master public speaking, the sooner you will reap the professional benefits of honing this skill. Talented public speakers get invited to important meetings and are asked to represent their team in presentations. They are introduced to clients sooner than their peers, and they get promoted more quickly. Make public speaking an early career priority.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how this quote has shaped your perspective?
“Love many, trust few, learn to paddle your own canoe”. My mother wrote this in my 8th grade autograph book AND I have the quote framed and hanging in my office! It reminds me always to be self-reliant, but open-hearted and generous. My mom passed 10 days after I took the bar exam, and 2 weeks before I began my career.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
That’s an easy one. Indra Nooyi! I just finished her book “My Life in Full”. Loved it — didn’t want it to end. I have so many questions for her about mothering young adults. My children are 24, 21 and 17 now, and I could use some advice on how to transition from manager to advisor!
Our readers often like to follow our interview subjects’ careers. How can they further follow your work online?
Please follow me on LinkedIn and Pace Career Services LinkedIn.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.
