3 Shifts To Make in 2022 To Future-Proof Your Career

In last week’s episode, we were joined by Dr Nadya Zhexemayeva and we talked about the importance of reinventing yourself, your career and business due to the fast pace of change we see.

If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, I highly recommend you do so as it will give you a lot more context to today’s topic. I want to take it a step further and share with you 3 shifts to make that will help you future-proof yourself and ways of approaching your career development and succession planning for 2022.

One of the most important factors we need to consider is that we have to think beyond credentials and let go of the ‘learn, do and retire’ model that was relevant for the last 150 years when companies and industries only went through significant change every 75 years. Nowadays however, the average time until we see a massive change is only 5-7 years which means that our skill sets have to evolve with it 

No longer can we rely on getting a degree, investing in education or technical training once and get a 40-year return in salary from that.

Studies show that we will have on average 17 jobs across 5 different careers. Coupled with findings from the World Economic Forum’s “The Future of Jobs” report that estimates that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced thanks to technology while 97 million new roles may be created that are more adapted to the new way fo humans working with machines, and algorithms. Plus – according to the Institute of the Future, 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet, which means that life-long learning is a non-negotiable and credentials are only one piece to the puzzle. To be honest- I’m not sure if this number is legit or not, it might be taken out of context a little but I do believe that roles significantly change over the next 10 years. One thing is for sure:

We need a way of thinking and focus on “learn to unlearn, relearn and repeat. That means that we have to get used to consistent reinvention.  

But how do you do it? How do you future-proof yourself? Here are my 3 tips and shifts you can use as inspiration or as actual roadmap.

SHIFT 1: BEYOND CREDENTIALS + JOB DESCRIPTIONS

In literally every organization, there used to be the one measure that regulates everything: titles and the respective job descriptions. That was the one career currency everyone was referring to, working towards to and measuring their value as it defined the tasks performed, skill sets required, responsibilities involved and the compensation for the lot. However, in today’s fast changing world of work, no job description or role (no matter how well-defined) can’t truly capture how the demand for various skills is changing, as automation and ways of working evolve constantly. 

I’m one of the biggest advocates for life-long learning because the lack of it was a big wakeup call in my first career. I thought having a masters and 10 years’ experience makes me invincible. Well- this couldn’t have been further from the truth and that was over 7. Years ago. Since then, things certainly haven’t slowed down so make sure you focus on more than building up credentials and chasing titles. Instead, focus on your competitive advantage and build a personal brand on your point of difference. It allows you to pivot a lot easier as you focus on becoming known for your characteristics, your personality, your story and your results. This is what makes you stand out and memorable.

SHIFT 2: CUT THROUGH COMMUNICATION SKILLS 

Whilst communication skills have always been crucial for career success, it is becoming more and more important (whilst also more challenging) in todays’ and tomorrow’s world of work. Not only is remote working the next way of working and doesn’t go backwards anymore but also working with global teams is becoming the norm. That means 2 things: firstly- the windows we can communicate and get our point across are shorter. We don’t have those watercooler conversations as much or the ‘quickly heading over to ask a question’ moment. Secondly- working with cross-cultural teams also means communicating across different channels, often asynchronous which also leaves a lot more space for mis- interpretations of the same thing. 

Cut through communication is essential to a) get seen and heard and with that, recognised, b) to get things done and c) ensure career progression is heading the way you want it.

And when I say communication, I also mean ‘static’ communications, aka your online footprint. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? How consistent and cohesive is the message you (want to) get across, online and offline? 

Most first interactions happen online and we make up our mind about someone in a split second. The question is – what do they take away from this interaction/ What will they remember? How will they introduce you? 

SHIFT 3: COLLABORATION & CONNECTIONS OVER COMPETITION

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase ‘comparison is the thieve of joy’ and the same applies for focusing on competition with others rather than collaborating

Each and every one has unique talents, skills, experiences and personality traits to bring to the table which makes the end result a lot better than trying to work in isolation. Plus- majority of opportunities, may it be jobs, deals, businesses are filled, done or conducted through your network so focusing on building, fostering and managing strong relationships is a non-negotiable if you want to level up your success.

In epi 19, we were joined by Andy Storch who I would consider a master-connector and I’m not exaggerating when I say: his tips are worth a million bucks already! Andy shared his ways of becoming a super-connector, what it takes to become refer-able and also more like-able and tips how to build your profile and presence so you can be found and considered for the right opportunities and by the right people.

Especially now, at the end of the year, use it as ‘excuse’ to check in with people you might have lost contact with and asked them about their year, plans for the festive season and what they are most proud of accomplishing this year. No hidden agenda, no sleaziness; just a genuine interest about them.

Also think outside the box: if you want to get onto the radar of a podcast host, or an author, leave them a rating or review – trust me when I say, this is gold in the world of content creators. By the way: my book has finally launched on Amazon, also the paperback version which turned out to be a little pain in the backside. If you want to gift the gift of learning and professional development, that might be the perfect option for you 