What a Graduation Ceremony Taught Me About Key Strategic Skills for Tech Professionals
In the world of AI, those are the most valuable skills
Two days ago, I attended a friend’s graduation ceremony at the University of Toronto.
It was my first time at such an event in North America, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt a mix of excitement and anxious anticipation about how the event would unfold.
As I approached the venue, I noticed a long line of people slowly making their way to the entrance. The woman in charge of the event was shouting, “Please keep moving and prepare your tickets.” While standing in line, I realized I hadn’t brought a jacket, which I found a bit embarrassing.
A few minutes later, I was climbing the stairs to the ceremony. The building was old, and the spiral staircase, with no elevator in sight, made me a little dizzy when I looked down.
Taking my seat, I couldn’t help but admire the stunningly beautiful ceiling above. Beneath me were the students, each seated with their close relatives by their side.
The ceremony lasted about two hours. As I sat and listened, my mind wandered to my own journey and the lessons I’ve learned since my college days.
Here are some of the valuable lessons I have discovered — lessons that aren’t typically taught in college.
Make sense of the economy
Understanding the economic landscape is foundational for anyone looking to navigate their career or business with confidence and foresight.
By knowing the rules that govern how the world works, you can make better choices and prevent costly mistakes.
Winning by these rules comes down to really understanding the cause-and-effect relationships in the economy.
The world is not linear — it is a complex web of interactions where X causes Y, not just X equals Y.
This gives you the power of prediction.
With this predictive power, you are no longer merely reacting to the world as it changes but are actively shaping your path through it.
Here’s a simple day-to-day example of a cause-and-effect relationship, demonstrating how one factor influences another without being equal to it:
Cause: You water a plant regularly.
Effect: The plant grows and flourishes.
- X (Cause): Regular watering of the plant.
- Y (Effect): Growth and health of the plant.
By understanding what actions lead to positive outcomes, you can strategically plan your career moves.
For example, taking on challenging projects (cause) can lead to skill development and recognition (effect), paving the way for advancement opportunities.
Get to know your decision-making process
Life decisions are hard. The reason is because you don’t know what to expect. The outcomes are often unknown.
For instance, you might choose to study economics and finance, but there’s no guarantee this profession will offer you the best opportunities.
When people face the unknown, they don`t act. They hesitate out of fear.
Without understanding how you make decisions, you become vulnerable to your brain’s default mechanisms. Contrary to what you might think, the brain is primarily a survival machine.
It was designed to protect you from danger in ancient times. Making quick but not necessarily wise decisions. Often, fear drives these decisions. Leading you away from your true desires.
You might avoid approaching someone you like, skip an interview, or not call a potential customer — all due to fear. Your brain aims to shield you from the unknown.
Polymaths are in demand in the New World
We are in the age of AI.
It’s not just a trend; it’s here to stay and advancing rapidly. According to various studies, AI will impact 40% of jobs.
The only roles that may remain unaffected are blue-collar jobs. If you are reading this, chances are you are not considering a career in construction.
The AI is great at doing boring, routine tasks.
Over time, it keeps its average performance. Not great, not outstanding, just average. Unlike humans, it doesn’t have “bad days” or “I don’t feel like it”.
This reliability translates to higher productivity — achieving more with less. For businesses, this is priceless: they can increase profits while reducing costs.
On a global scale, this efficiency is beneficial for the global economy. For instance, if a country like the US can produce more with less, it can pay off its debt more quickly.
If you are a polymath, someone like Leonardo da Vinci or Elon Musk, you have the ability to solve problems that AI cannot tackle.
A polymath is an individual with broad knowledge across various fields such as science, business, human relationships, economics, and politics. You are an expert in coding, but you also possess an understanding of philosophy.
What makes this skill so important?
It equips you with the capability to solve complex problems that AI cannot address.
Unlike humans, AI lacks imagination. It is merely a machine — an impressive one, but a machine nonetheless.
This means it cannot create something new or innovate beyond its training. Humans, on the other hand, can make non-obvious connections between seemingly unrelated fields.
For instance, linking food waste with urban gardening recognizing the synergy between coffee shops and remote work (which is evident now but was not a few years ago), or understanding the relationship between sneakers and the secondary market economy.
The future lies in research and development, spearheaded by people with the creative power to solve the world’s problems. The ability to harness AI to produce more food with fewer resources will be invaluable as we face challenges like a growing population.
Conclusions
As the ceremony drew to a close and I watched my friend receive her BA, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much these graduates have learned and how they will shape the next generation.
They are stepping into a new world — one drastically changed by COVID-19, impacted by advancements in AI, facing challenges of a growing and aging population, and marked by the tension between the US and China over emerging superpower status.
This world is nothing like it was ten years ago; it’s entirely transformed. Therefore, a new way of thinking is essential.
Nikita
