5 ways to future-proof your career
A workplace run by artificial intelligence (AI), automated workers, a compulsory digital curriculum? Everyone, from Hollywood stars to academics and politicians in between, have cast their predictions for the future of work. But we won鈥檛 need to speculate too much longer. The truth is that this 鈥榝uture鈥�, which once seemed so far away, could be a reality within the next 10 years.
At the recent Sydney Ideas Future of Work event, we asked three of our most forward thinking academics and one of Australia鈥檚 top entrepreneurs, for their thoughts on how to future-proof your career.
1. Embrace uncertainty
Dr Sandra Peter from the University of Sydney Business School says that uncertainty and ambiguity are two of the biggest issues we鈥檒l have to face in the future.
鈥淭he emergence of what we recognise as megatrends 鈥� AI, big data, urbanisation, resource security聽鈥撀爓ill create ambiguity and uncertainty," Dr Peter says.
鈥淒ealing with this ambiguity will be one of the big skills, and everything that comes with it: creativity, agility, resilience, critical thinking, learning how to learn.
鈥淎 part of that is teaching imagination. Imagination will be a big thing to help deal with ambiguity. How do we imagine futures that have never happened before?鈥澛�
2. Learn design thinking
Associate Professor Martin Tomitsch, from the University of Sydney School of Architecture and Director of the Design Lab, believes design thinking will help people prepare for the uncertainty of the future. Design thinking is about putting user experience at the forefront of process when designing products and places. It grew out of studying how architects and other designers work, and learning the tools they use to create.
鈥淚n every respect it is about embracing, rather than being scared of, complexity," Associate Professor Tomitsch says. 鈥淒esign thinking is now seen as a toolbox, or a collection of methods 鈥� and also a way of thinking that gives people with the ability to deal with uncertainty.鈥� 聽
鈥淚t provides methods in their approach to thinking, to solve complex problems. Being able to both think convergent and divergently. Coming up with ideas, but also finding solutions.鈥�
3. Don鈥檛 fear AI
It鈥檚 a fear we keep returning to 鈥� 鈥榳ill a robot replace me at my job?鈥�
鈥淲hen you read the news, you鈥檒l see an article about how Elon Musk says the AI apocalypse is coming and we鈥檙e all going to die,鈥� Dr Peter explains. 鈥淏ut then the next article says that Bunnings has pulled ads from YouTube because artificial intelligence is playing their ads before racist videos.鈥�
So is AI going to take over, or is it incapable of performing seemingly simple tasks? Dr Nicky Ringland, Computing Education Specialist at University of Sydney, has good news. The AI revolution isn鈥檛 here yet, and when it comes, it isn鈥檛 going to be as scary as we imagine.
鈥淎I will be analysing and tracking data and conditions. We鈥檒l be teaching a computer to do specific tasks and do them well,鈥� says Dr Ringland. This kind of AI is 鈥渘ot so much terminator, as an intelligent spreadsheet鈥�.
4. Don't put all your eggs into one career basket
Recent studies show that the average young person now goes through at least seven jobs in a career throughout their lifetime.
鈥淭hat means there will be uncertainty,鈥� says Alex McCauley of StartupAUS. 鈥淥ne of the absolutely key ways of succeeding and thriving is to have a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach, where all your eggs aren鈥檛 in one basket.鈥�
McCauley stresses the importance of a broad, liberal education for preparing students for the future.
鈥淓ven in really specialised jobs, interdisciplinary approaches are going to be really important," he says.
鈥淎nd in terms of setting ourselves up for success with an economy and a jobs framework that we can鈥檛 really predict, we have to make sure we are incorporating interdisciplinary approaches across their study.鈥�
5. Understand the importance of the 鈥榝鈥� word 鈥� failure
In the face of all this uncertainty, it鈥檚 essential to develop skills in resilience.
鈥淚f you look at entrepreneurship and innovation, 95 percent of start-ups fail,鈥� says Dr Peter. 鈥淪o it would be irresponsible of us not to teach resilience, not to teach how you deal with failure, how to come back from failure.鈥�
Failure, Dr Peter says, should not be looked upon as a dirty word, but rather a vital tool for learning resilience and survival.