How to future-proof your career?!

Some things remain unchanged...

About 5 years ago I wrote a medium article called "Ways to deal with the fear of becoming irrelevant" (January 13, 2018). Last week my good friend reminded me about this text. That encouraged me to read it again. I was surprised how relevant this topic is and how applicable, of course in my opinion, the recommendations are. Therefore I decided to just publish it again here with small edits and additional thought.

The original text was inspired by the conversation I had with my colleague about mindset change, learning new skills and how to adjust or develop our capabilities to stay relevant. I believe that now, in these turbulent times, this topic remains still valid.

What will I do if my job becomes irrelevant?

My observation back then was that a lot of people, perhaps majority, who achieved expert positions, use their energy to keep this position. How does it work? They build their personal empire which is founded on the field of their expertise and then spend time and energy to protect this empire. Why? I assume that this is because of the fear: “What will I do if my job becomes irrelevant?”. This is a very common feeling and I totally empathize with it. The fear itself is not a problem in my opinion. Sometimes, also driven by it - to learn new things and broaden my horizons. In the era of robotics and automation, it is natural to ask such question. Think about it! Have you ever asked yourself this question? Or have you been asked about it? You see my point, right?

Let me just add here that, based on my observations, age is not important for that subject. I met a lot of people below or around 30 who represent this fixed mindset as well as people around 50 or 60 with a curious and agile approach.?Here ?an interesting video describing two types of mindset: fixed and growth mindset.

What's the problem?

So what is wrong from my point of view? First of all, I reject the idea of laziness. However, I believe that people often are wrongly allocating their energy. They are trying to protect the empire that has no right to exist in the modern world instead of opening the borders and exploring new lands. And hey! It's not surprising. I've been there, I know it, I understand it. I want to offer, however, additional ideas that hopefully will help reframing the problem.

Potential solutions

Unfortunately, I don’t know an easy and quick solution to this problem (if you do, please let me know). However, here is my suggestion based on what I am trying to do in my professional life to mitigate the risk of becoming obsolete in the job market:

1.?Keep learning. Understanding the world around us is critical. Take control of your own education. If you can, sign up for a post-graduate degree, MBA or an online course. Also, Internet is full of more affordable possibilities. Knowledge is commodity. If you are not into formal learning explore business meet-ups, conferences (post-pandemic world offers a lot of online formats, often for free), and workshops. This is your call. No one will do it for you. Expecting your employer to take care of that, in my opinion, is irresponsible.

2.?Look for trends. These days changes happen very quickly. However the majority of them you can detect in advance if you observe trends and what is happening on the market. This can be your way to find a niche or be first in the line when the world will be embracing the new.

3.?Develop your professional network?(within and outside your organization). This is especially valid for people working in big multi-national companies with a siloed set up. Remember there is an exciting world outside. You can leverage this network for example for learning, inspiration, or when looking for a new career opportunity. Note that developing a meaningful relationships takes time - it's not about quantity but quality.

4.?Redefine your passions.?Yes, this is correct. It was intentional to use the plural form of “passion”. Only a few people will find a passion when they are small and pursue it throughout their entire life. If you are not lucky enough to be one of these people don’t worry. This is a minority. It looks like a rule but it is really not. Keep looking for your passions and try new things. This will keep your mind young. Also note that passion and talent is rarely, if ever, a gift from nature. Check Angela Duckworth book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" for further inspiration.

5.?Sharing is caring. This is like a boomerang. If you give something to others, it will get back to you. We can call it a sharing karma and as you probably know karma is a bitch. So don’t mess with her. Knowledge is a commodity, but in contract to oil, we will never run out of it. Therefore, do not be afraid of sharing your knowledge with others and give something to society.

6.?Be Mindful.?Rihanna ?sings “work, work, work”. Unfortunately for many this is the best description of their day-to-day life. Therefore, do not forget about disconnecting once in a while to keep you mental health in a good shape. It can mean different things to different people. Avoid a trap of comparison to others, find your own way of doing it. There are ups and downs, there is nothing we can do about it. Therefore, perhaps I should add a 7th point just a reminder.

7.?Build your tribe.?Surround yourself with good people who will help you to go through your ups and downs. In return, you will help them in the same way. We have to have each other’s backs. Never give up!

Above seven points are just suggestions based on my experience. I am sure it's not a full list. I hope however, that it can help you reflect on the topic and perhaps take first steps. If you want to explore more I invite to check the book by Jason Feifer "Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career".