• In this post, we look at a multitude of drivers of change affecting the workplace and jobs.

• We also look at some potential future jobs plus a variety of strategies to cope with the changes.

• In addition, we look at some approaches that can assist a person to find a job in this changing world.

Recently I started work on a presentation on the emerging fields of work.

I had done posts about the changing future job market for youth.

A few years ago, it was predicted that upon graduation, 65% of the jobs available to post graduate students, would not have existed when those same students were in elementary school.

In doing my research for this presentation, here is some of what I discovered:

CAUSES OF THE CHANGING JOB MARKET:

We know that the world is changing faster and faster.

We hear about how technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3d printing is and will be impacting the job market.

In addition, there are many other causes for the changing workplace.

Here are some of those drivers:

Drivers of Change:

• Changing nature of work, flexible work;
• Climate change, natural resources;
• Consumer ethics, privacy issues;
• Geopolitical volatility;
• Internet of Things;
• Longevity, aging societies;
• The middle class in emerging markets;
• Mobile internet, cloud technology;
• New energy supplies and technologies;
• Processing power, Big Data;
• Robotics, autonomous transport;
• Sharing economy, crowdsourcing;
• Top trends impacting industries’ strategies;
• Women’s economic power, aspirations;
• Young demographics in emerging markets,

I have not gone into detail on any of the above, but if you are curious, research some of these topics.

These drivers of change are impacting many aspects of our lives such as:

• -Economics

• -Politics

• -Business

• -Finance

• -Workplace

• -Health

• -Biology

SOME CURRENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE NEEDS:

• Attract foreign expertise;

• Collaborate, educational institutions;

• Collaborate, other companies across industries;

• Collaborate, other companies in the same industry (Japan);

• Collaborate, vocational training and certifying providers;

• Hire more short-term workers;

• Invest in reskilling current employees;

• Never overlook the expertise of someone in a minority group;

• Offer apprenticeships;

• Support mobility and job rotation;

• Target men and women’s expertise equally;

I like this list as it contains more emphasis on collaboration.

I find collaborating is much more effective than competing.

SOME POTENTIAL JOB MARKET OPPORTUNITIES? (2030)

• -Disaster Response – wildfires, floods, mudslides, hurricanes -monitoring, disaster recovery;
• -Digital Detox –escape from the negative impact of technology –counselors, wifi free zones, activities, tourism, etc;
• -3D Printing – Construction – build homes – biomedical -organs and tissues;
• -Work-Life Integration -productivity apps, flexible child care, on-demand home delivery, homeschooling tutors;
• -Climate Refugees – services to help them integrate into new environments;
• -Job Refugees – for industries devasted by technology –help them negotiate the new job market world;
• -Addiction counselors as unemployed people increase;
• -Elderly Care;
• -Trades –where robots cannot replace the human skillset;
• -Life-Long Learning -online learning;
• -Creative opportunities.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING ON HOW TO FIND A JOB:

• An increasing number of jobs are moving towards work that involves interacting with people.
• Jobs that are not easily replaced by technology will flourish.
• Skills in higher demand will be:
  • Social skills such as persuasion, emotional intelligence and teaching others;
  • Understanding and applying a range of computer programs, software, and other applications and active learning;
  • Cognitive abilities such as creativity and reasoning;
  • Process skills such as active listening and critical thinking.

Robots are good for productivity.

Humans are good at asking questions, being creative, and developing experiences.

3 STEPS TO TAKE:

1) CONNECT WITH OTHERS.

• Don’t try and do it yourself.
• Look for local like-minded groups in your community.
• Check out political organizations, unions, or groups set up in meetup or social networks.
• Community colleges can be a great source of knowledge about what kind of people are being sought after and offer training.
• Don’t rely on the government.
• Ask who do you know who has managed to change jobs recently. What did they do?
• Are there any employment counselors? If so, find the Good ones.

2) SOLVE PROBLEMS.

• Many jobs can be about solving people’s problems.
• People may hire someone or buy something from someone to solve a problem.
• Even if you need to take an interim job, don’t stop exploring ways to solve problems.
• Continue looking for, and even start a part-time side job.

3) TAKE ACTION.

• This is a challenging step.
• Review number 1) and 2) above.
• Who can you connect with? – What problems can you help solve?
• It is easy to do nothing and/or complain.
• Waiting for someone to come and help you can be daunting.
• Don’t wait for the government or someone else to do something. You could be waiting for a long time.
• Start with baby steps. This will help you to build self-knowledge and self-confidence as you step outside your comfort zone.
• The most difficult thing you are ever going to do in your life is to fail at something, and if you don’t start failing at things you will not live a full life.
• You will not be getting the most out of this amazing world in which we live.
• You have to do the hardest thing that you have not been prepared to do.
• You have to be prepared to fail.
• That is how you are going to expand yourself and grow.
• As you work through that process of failing and learning, you will really deepen into the human being you are capable of being.
• The nature of finding a satisfying career and satisfying job is mentally engaging work.
• You are searching for a job that provides lots of variety, gives you good feedback, allows you to exercise autonomy, and contributes to the wider world.
• Does it allow you to exercise a skill that you have developed?

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS?

• Follow your dreams can be terrible advice.
• It takes a long time, it takes years.
• It’s impossible to do what you love without self-knowledge which takes years.
• You discover your ‘dream’ (or sense of purpose) in the very act of walking the path, which is guided by equal parts of choice and chance.
• In following one path, you will find that it diverges into others.
• Remember what Robert Frost stated, “Two roads diverged in a wood and me – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
• Realize it is unlikely that one job is going to last your lifetime.

IT’S A BIG WORLD WITH LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF NEW PROBLEMS THAT NEED SOLVING.

So what you can do is to

1. CONNECT
2. SOLVE
3. ACT

Not easy, but well worth the effort!

Below, you can find a video covering much of the above material.