The great progress in technological fields has paved the way for many innovative and effective technologies that have led to the automation of tasks. In the coming years, people may be recruited for jobs that don’t even exist yet, hence the need to prepare for future skills and job tasks that are difficult to predict. We have no way to determine the skills we should develop. However, I will use this article to list the skills that are expected to help people succeed in their future, more competitive careers.
The rise of digital technologies in the business environment means being able to deal with the plethora of opportunities and challenges that come with it. The more you are capable of adapting to changes and conceptualize the multiple, complex ideas, the more you can adapt to the requirements of future jobs and become more sought-after by employers and recruiters.
As the world continues to rely on modern and advanced technologies, future job seekers will need to strengthen their digital skills and computational capabilities. It is certain that the global trend is now shifting towards a focus on digital knowledge that has exceeded all expectations, especially when it comes to emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data science. "We need to train scholars to deal with the challenges of the 21st century, some of which we may not yet have encountered," says Professor Adam Habib, Vice Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. (1) It is very important for educational institutions to focus on AI and e-Science to advance students' digital skillset and enhance their technical abilities in these emerging fields, including exploring and learning about data visualization and computational intelligence.
Although robotics and automation have outperformed humans in calculations and diagnostic solving, humans are the ones who analyze and handle data directly. In light of the rapid industrial revolutions, people wishing to better their chances at landing future jobs must enhance their ability to deal with rational and digital data, which will help them make better decisions.
It is important to focus on developing leadership skills to demonstrate a person's ability to set an example, inspire, and motivate others to do their best. Leadership skills are necessary for the business environment because of their strong and tangible impact on improving individual productivity. Moreover, the business environment's development and competitiveness will enhance the value and position of the leaders who will cooperate with diverse teams to find radical and innovative solutions to many complex problems.
Emotional and social intelligence remains a unique and irreplaceable human ability. The increasing demand for human skills in some sectors makes emotional and social intelligence important advantages to securing a job. Jobs in the medical care field are one of the many examples. If you know how to deal with different situations and are able to work collaboratively, you are more likely to land a job in the future and work with others.
Analytical and critical thinking constitutes an additional and significant strength for people wishing to possess skills that will help them establish their presence in the market. Through critical thinking, accurate, in-depth, and innovative solutions can be devised. This type of thinking will enhance one's ability to solve complex problems and strengthen their argumentation capabilities. The strength of this type of thinking, which relies on logic, depends on its ability to analyze the available data rather than emotions, and then identify the pros and cons in order to reach the best possible result.
The 2018 World Economic Forum report states that automation and robotics will generate many jobs. Nevertheless, it is important to keep on top of your creative skills and maintain an innovative mindset. (2) It is safe to say that natural creativity is something that cannot be easily replicated by the latest digital technologies.
Nonetheless, we should start from now to learn and acquire new and effective skills. The world is moving swiftly in the technological field and the business environment is growing significantly.
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