People of all age groups are now faced more and more each day with new technology that is almost mandatory to survive on the job. Sure, there are probably a handful of jobs out there that have little-to-no technology tied to it, but the options are getting fewer and further between each year. One writer at the Examiner says, “Seventy percent of workers in 2020 will have jobs with some technical component. Greater use of informatics—the science of collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions or predictions from complex data—is one example.”
Most entry-level positions, even jobs not considered tech positions, usually still need some level of proficiency with technology-related office skills. A great majority of all types of job postings now include technological keywords in their requirements, things like social media, operating systems, etc. Of course, having the basics to land a position is good, but you can never rest on your skill level, as new technology advances tasks further and further each year. You may have acquired an entry-level skill set to get in the door, but you need to always be watching for what new techology may affect your position.
One way to help keep yourself employable is to read up on new technology that is inline with your career path. You can also be more of a leader when it comes to helping to push the adoption of new technologies. It is also a good idea to look positions you would like to have one day. Don't just apply yourself to learning the skills needed to acquire that position today; try to gain insight into where the technology may be heading and aim there.
I am an avid viewer of the many kitchen-related television shows out there, especially ones like Kitchen Nightmares. For those not familiar with the show, host Chef Ramsay visits restaurants with his crew and often provides a total facelift to the place. Often, the team installs an advanced point-of-sale ordering system, with each waitstaff member now using new technology to place orders. Each time I can’t help but wonder how many people were unable to quickly adapt and may have ended up losing their jobs over that. In these cases, things changed overnight with little to no warning.
With the way things change so fast, it is honestly hard to keep up, but we all must try. With so much information freely available on blogs and online services, staying fresh and keeping an eye on the trends just requires a little reading time. Simon Ejembi at Punch says to seek knowledge continuously, “it does not matter whether you are called an information ‘freak’. Experts say as long as you remember that too much of everything is bad, you should seek as much knowledge and information as possible. This can be easily achieved if you read widely or study ‘endlessly’. The more knowledge you acquire, the better you are for it.” Plus, with so many schools offering online courses, actually getting new accredited skills is more convenient too. So while technology has brought new challenges to our careers, it has also brought new options for acquiring skills.
The key thing to remember is that you must be ready when technology changes your position. Whether you are directly seeking employment in a technology career or not, it is important that you prepare for the ways technology will impact your career, and take steps to be prepared, and if possible, be a leader guiding them into new areas.
Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee at FreeDigitialPhotos.net
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