Bulletproof Job Skills for the Future
You may not have a crystal ball to help divine what the work world of 2040 will look like, but there are five large categories of job skills that employers will continue to seek, writes futurist and technology adviser Bernard Marr in Forbes. Technology will play an ever-larger role in nearly every task you do. And while robots may not be taking over the world in 20 years, AI and automation will make some of what you do today obsolete.
1. EQ as Well as IQ
Emotional intelligence will become increasingly important, writes Marr. Your emotional quotient, or EQ, is the ability to be aware of your own emotions and control negative ones. Those with high emotional intelligence are empathetic, motivated, and have the social skills that can help with conflict management and nurturing relationships.
2. Ingenuity
“As humans, we have this amazing ability to be creative, imagine, and invent new things. Creativity boosts innovation,” writes Marr. Creativity isn’t just the province of artists. It can be used by any employee to discover new and better ways of doing tasks, reach new audiences, and motivate others.
3. Flexibility
The ability to adapt to new ways of working is paramount. “What we’re currently seeing is fewer and fewer skills and jobs for life. Therefore, we need to constantly adapt and learn new things. In fact, the half-life of skills is reducing at a drastic rate,” according to Marr.
4. Data Literacy
You are bombarded with data every day, and you need to have the skills to understand its source, reliability, and how to use it in your work.
5. Tech Acumen
As technologies develop with lightning speed, you must be ready to stay up to date in understanding the most important tech trends that will affect your job—and the world. According to Marr, these new technologies include AI, big data, “extended reality” robots, the internet of things, 3D printing, and blockchain.
About the author(s)
Barbara Ruben was a senior content creator at CASE.