As the global health crisis will start receding around early 2021, a global economic crisis will emerge. Businesses across different industries are facing a hard turn emerging from the current situation. As a result, a new normal has emerged. Organizations are increasingly warming up to working models such as work-from-home, freelancing, and distributed teams to tackle the economic crisis.
Innovation in work is evolving so rapidly that business ecosystems are unable to keep up with it. Neither is the rigid educational system in most parts of the world. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the half-life of professional skills presently is just five years. This means that whatever skills you may have picked during graduation will be obsolete in another ten years.
Given this situation, people in the workforce must take it upon themselves to re-educate and upskill themselves. Here are 10 ways professionals can sharpen their tech skills to be ready for the future digital world.
1) Read. A Lot.
More often than not, much of what a professional needs to know about the developments and advances in their field is hidden in published material. Tech professionals of the future should get into the habit of reading blogs, articles, journals, news, press releases, etc. This also helps them in diversifying their knowledge around their base expertise.
2) Follow Thought Leaders in Your Space
Following thought leaders and industry experts is highly beneficial for professionals looking to understand the world from within inside or from the forefront. Not only will tech professionals get to know about the new technologies and trends, but also about which are the most in-demand in the industry. This knowledge should play a major role in what skills you zero down on to gain greater insight into.
3) Seek Online Credentials
Professional online programs help professionals upgrade their skills without having to compromise on their careers. Online education offers incredible flexibility, which makes it possible for professionals to retain their careers while upskilling at the same time. Moreover, online programs are often hands-on and collaborative, which given the advanced and distributed work system, is a huge advantage.
ADYPU Online offers new-age Master Level – Post Graduate Programs in Engineering, Management, and Law for professionals looking to advance their careers in the right direction and be prepared for the future of jobs.
4) Diversify and Lead
The new world order of jobs calls for professionals who can take ownership, rather than follow the lead. Developing interpersonal and leadership skills will enable professionals to navigate the future workplace consisting of distributed teams and global partners.
The future digital world will also be centered around flexibility with collaboration and inclusivity. This approach to work will demand a diverse set of skills from the new-age tech professional. It would be imperative for tech professionals to diversify their tech knowledge to fit into the new ecosystem.
5) Join a Professional Organization
Professional organizations are reservoirs of knowledge. Joining a professional organization like the Computer Society of India (CSI), All India Information Technology Association (AIITA), or National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) is essential to stay abreast of industry news and trends. Many such organizations and associations conduct workshops, seminars, and lectures regularly which are highly beneficial.
6) Volunteer for Projects
There is no learning like hands-on learning. Tech professionals should volunteer to help organizations and friends with their projects to stay proactive with the challenges in their fields. Technical experience is worth a lot more than theoretical knowledge and interacting with fellow tech professionals and end-users/clients alike, provides a distinctive experience that comes in handy in the long run.
7) Future Proof Yourself from Automation
As discussed above, the jobs of the future will be very different and will demand very unique skills. Vanilla knowledge about technology or coding just won’t cut it. Tech professionals must learn to adapt to more contemporary technologies.
Most professionals will find themselves and their skills obsolete in another ten years. Automation will replace 9 percent of the global workforce in the coming years. Tech professionals must tap the automation and improvisations happening in their field to keep evolving with the industry.
It is a grave misconception that automation will replace workers. Automation will replace jobs, while workers will work on the automation. Tech professionals must stay abeam of these developments and evolve accordingly to avoid becoming collateral damage of automation.
8) Master Ecosystems Rather Than Technologies
Technology isn’t primate anymore. Nor is its application. The use of technology now involves multiple layers of software and firmware which interact with each other to work like a well-oiled machine to deliver the final result. Hence, tech professionals who focus on a single niche technology are bound to be rendered obsolete soon. Professionals who understand ecosystems of technology or family of languages will hold an upper hand as they will be able to contribute on a more holistic level to the projects that they will be working on.
9) Focus on Design and Innovation
The last few years have been instrumental in making technology a lot more user-friendly and handy for the end-user. The coming years will play an important part in making it an integral part of the users’ lives. As artificial intelligence, internet of things and wearable technology becomes an indispensable part of our lives, ‘design’ will occupy an important part of a tech professional’s overall working.
Considering how rapidly technology is transforming our lives, tech professionals will have to constantly evolve and innovate to keep pace with the changing world around them.
10) Develop Critical Thinking
Critical thinking instills the ability to make decisions based on in-depth analysis and information evaluation. Tech professionals heavily depend on logic development. Critical thinking ability enables an individual to innovate and leverage ideas and crack complex problem-solving.
As technology evolves, it must be complemented by tech professionals who will also evolve with it. The tech industry is increasingly looking for tech professionals beyond technical skills and focusing on attracting tech managers who can be effective business leaders. These new-age tech professionals will have to use a blend of interpersonal skills and constant upskilling to make an impact.
At ADYPU Online, we seek to equip tech professionals with the tech skills needed for the careers of the future. Our online Master Level – Post Graduate programs are designed to prepare professionals for the new world order of jobs. Check out our broad range of engineering programs at www.adypuonline.com.
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