CareerCon2019: How to Future-Proof Your Career

Change is inevitable, and these days it’s quicker than ever, making it essential that you are ready to keep up and ensure that your career lasts with the times

We are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or the era of physical technology finally marrying with that of digital. And as Industry 4.0 promises to change the future of work, it begs us to ask, what will our job be like in five years? Will it even exist in the next decade or two?

Indeed, while change is a constant, it’s considerably at its quickest these days with the continued advancement of digital and physical technologies, and as a result some jobs could be very different – and even irrelevant – in just a handful of years.

Now, while no one can really know exactly what the future of work holds, there is a way to prepare. Speaking at the first ever CareerCon held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City, CISCO CX Asia Pacific Program & In-Country Transformation Advisory Leader Rina Guzman shared some insights on how to approach future-proofing a career.

The machines have arrived, but you can still stay

It is well documented how the continued progression of technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will make certain business processes obsolete. According to Guzman, many only see the “machines replacing people” aspect of this inevitability, and not the opportunities behind it.

“Technological unemployment is inevitable. Machines will replace manpower. But we shouldn’t worry, because even if machines take one job, it opens us up to consider another. What’s important in future-proofing your career is being grounded on the human aspect of growing your career, and what can YOU do to drive that tech further and further.”

“Keep a clear and OPEN career path.”

Guzman shared that to best avoid being replaced by machines is to be ready for and and all opportunities which technological advances bring to our careers, which at the most basic can be done in three ways:

Scan your environment

While experience has always been an effective way to learn, it hasn’t always been the fastest way to gain new skills. According to Guzman, looking to beyond the typical experience we gain at work is what will help us learn at a pace that is able to keep up with the quick advances in tech.

“Look at what’s out there. Look into what trends in your industry makes the news. Looking outside gives you a good look of the inside.”

Being mindful of what’s new in your chosen industry allows you to be better prepared to train and learn and keep up with current advances, as well as helps in making sure you and your company don’t miss any opportunity to innovate.

Build your professional network

Speaking of opportunities, these don’t just come about online or within your own companies. It is important to be connected with people who know what you can do and what further potential you have, as they can also point you in the direction of new career and learning opportunities.

According to Guzman, this is not too tough a task given today’s varying communication platforms.

“Build your professional network. The age of social media makes it easy, so there’s no reason to not be able to connect with resources for professional growth.”

Think globally

In line with looking beyond your current employment (or education), is observing the innovations being undertaken by not only local companies, but those overseas as well. According to Guzman, this can prove to be advantageous, especially if you are in a local market or industry that is slower to modernize.

“Go beyond your existing space. As more companies become more connected, they become more multicultural. Being exposed to that gives you an edge, because you’ll be familiar with the technologies and/or processes which are yet to be familiar to people where you are.”

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Kalibrr is a technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, the company continues to attract the best talent from all over, with over 2.4 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

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