The career map of yesteryear versus the career map of today’s workforce draws a contrasting image of employment. Education and training through to University graduation was generally sufficient in years gone by in order to secure a half decent job. But today, with the massive advancements in technology, the skill sets of the workforce must be enhanced and upgraded at regular intervals. This is no longer an option. In tune this means young graduates need to stay hungry for learning, knowledge and practical applications of that knowledge – in order to stay relevant in today’s job market.
How can you fuel the hunger for knowledge and learning?
The technology driven world is at its fastest mode of growth whilst technology advancement continues to outpace technology adoption. In turn it can make current skills and knowledge obsolete very quickly. If you really wants to remain competitive in the job market, then you need to upgrade your skills in tandem with the pace of change and technological evolution.
Developing an attitude whereby you question every change mentally could help you stay interested in learning newer concepts and technologies. Failing to acquire newer skill sets, whilst riding high on some existing skills, may prove fatal once the current skill becomes obsolete. To avoid such a situation you should develop a structured plan for re-training and ongoing learning and develop a knack of staying abreast of the latest trends and skills.
Visualize not View.
Today’s data driven world has opened a plethora of opportunities for young graduates to work on the enormous amount of data captured by each and every application. However instead of just viewing the data, one needs to harness an adaptive cognitive ability to visualize the underlying pattern which came from this data. This requires a lot of effort in developing critical thinking abilities and graduates entering the workforce in this era need to acquire these kind of thought processes.
Thou shall love thy neighbour.
Peaceful coexistence is the new mantra for this new world. Every thing we see, touch and feel is interconnected with each other. It is very difficult now-a-days to find tasks which require a monotonous work style. Globalization and increasing proximity (both cultural and communication) requires the workforce to be made up of global citizens. Instead of working in solitude, people now need to understand the view point of their partners – even if they differ culturally and geographically. So graduates today need to understand the importance of teamwork and should be open to learn more about new ways of working and cultures.
In summary – why do you need to keep relevant?
Continuous learning, creative and cognitive visualization, social intelligence and cross cultural compatibility are some of the key elements which present today’s youth with the need to think through and focus on – if only to stay relevant in the workplace and better shape their future career prospects.