Although it’s only 5 years away, the workforce of 2020 will look a lot
different than it does today. From the real-time nature of our connected
society to the explosion of internet connected devices, we’re already starting
to see how these changes are impacting jobs in every career field. Some of
these changes include the technology we use to do our jobs, the virtual
location of our jobs, and the way we collaborate with team members and other
colleagues. These changes will only continue to accelerate over the next few
years.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes we’ll see impacting all careers will
be the exponential amount of data that’s being created and the way companies
leverage this data throughout their organization. This data will be generated
from the web, mobile devices, wearable devices, connected products such as
cars, and the supercomputers used to power all of these devices.
The specific impact and skill sets will vary depending on what field
you’re working in, but most experts agree that there is a core set that will be
common to a wide variety of industries. These skills will benefit you
throughout your career as you transfer from position to position.
Among these skills that will be critical to success in 2020 and beyond
include:
The ability to think strategically in
real time – The
amount of information that will be generated and will need to be processed and
acted upon will require employees to balance strategic thinking with quick
action. From healthcare technology and medical coding to IT and business
administration, every industry will be impacted by an overwhelming amount of
digital data. This information will need to be interpreted quickly and
strategic decisions made in real-time.
The ability to visualize patterns and
trends – In the age
of big data, more and more companies will begin using this data to influence
decisions. Being able to understand how the data creates meaningful patterns
and trends will play a critical role in the success of companies. We’re already
starting to see pattern and trend visualization based on real-time data have an
impact in places that were previously unimaginable. For example, the CDC is
currently using Twitter and other social channels to track and diagnose
epidemics while businesses are using data to predict customer needs before the
customer even realizes it.
Ongoing Innovation – The employees of 2020 will realize
that innovation isn’t merely a sudden burst of insight, but rather an ongoing
process where one innovation lays the foundation for the next innovation. In
such fluid and dynamic work environments, employees will be tasked with
constantly finding new ways of improving productivity, cutting costs, and
assisting with development and research.
Although 2020
is still five years away, there are still things you can do today to position
yourself for success in the future workforce. To begin with, follow your industry to determine where future talent will be most
needed. This will help you to stay on top of the latest innovations in your
field and determine what skills will be needed to seize opportunities related
to these innovations. Staying current with popular industry blogs, following
thought leaders on Twitter in your field, or joining industry groups on
LinkedIn is a great way to do this.
To find out what specific skills are needed to succeed today, and how to
use those skills to build a foundation for future success, be sure to take a
look at our Leadership Series.
What are your thoughts on the future of the workforce? What’s the
biggest change you see coming to your career field?
