Learnings from The Future of Work: New Career Paths - at Nova Alumni Club

On November 16th 2023, I was invited to participate in a conversation panel? - The Future of Work: New Career Paths - at Nova Alumni Club.?

A week later I received a few beautiful photos of the events. As I recalled the experience, I decided to share a little more of what I said and learned at that event.

Obviously we prepared for the session. So, when Ricardo Gon?alves - the moderator - asked me what questions I would like him to throw at me (beyond those he had already prepared), I chose two questions that I will share:

Q1 - How will technology and data help solve the reskilling challenge?

Data and technology will help us understand the career paths of the present and future.

I believe there are many reasons to be positive about the future of work and I’m not alone. So I mentioned just one of the many papers available by the WEF - 6 Reasons to be optimistic about the future of work.

In the paper I learned that governments are teaming up with consultancies and tech companies to perform metadata analysis (by tracking how people update their resumes over tome) and discover the trails that lead to new jobs (the one we are designing as we speak) as thus predict the skills that need to be learned and the roles that might emerge. That will help all of us understand what we need to learn to transition into more fulfilling jobs and careers. It's actually quite obvious: “Democracies don't sit well with unemployment, so it's only natural that governments are tackling these issues”.

Although it's hard to find a common taxonomy to study and include the talents and skills required to fill existing and future jobs, several alliances are working together to create a model to do so.?

It’s also a challenge to try to predict transitions into jobs that are being created as we speak, but I truly believe that over the following years a tool that works like “waze for careers” will emerge and become common, thus informing people about trends and possible trails for their careers.

That's why I wouldn't worry too much with this challenge as I believe that data and tech will be used for good and help us decide what we could do and learn in order to enjoy our jobs and careers in the future.?

If you want to ignite that optimism you may want to read the article: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/new-jobs-future-of-work-reskilling-revolution/

Q2 - What is "Job Crafting" and why is it so important?

Job Crafting will become common practice and engagement will rise because people will be asked to design their job evolutions, routinely.

In an HBR article - What job crafting looks like - by Jane E. Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski,? we understand that Job Crafting is not about changing jobs or careers, it is: “The act of altering your job to make it more engaging and meaningful”.

Joib Crafting has been around for over 20 years and has been used by individuals and organizations that are interested in taking engagement in their own hands. But now it has become more important, even urgent, because of the advent of the reskilling era and the emergence of AI.?

AI is the perfect tool to do most of the repetitive tasks of your job. So the questions today are:

1-What tasks of your job will be done by AI?

2-How much time will they liberate??

3-What should or could your future tasks be??

4-What should you be learning to ensure your job evolves and satisfies you?

5-Who can help you evolve your job?

It's a shame that corporate leaders have let engagement levels fall so low, for so long. We've heard HR and People Manager say: "Well don't expect us to design your career, it's up to you to do that". Fair enough, but how about supporting people in doing that? How about giving them frameworks and structures to facilitate these thought processes, so they become frequent and even cool? I believe we need to destigmatize the way we see the exercise of job / career pivoting and help people acquire the skills to continuously reflect upon their aspirations and design their learning opportunities. Isnt this a great way to help people craft fulfilling and impactful careers?

Beyond these two questions, an interesting conversation emerged from comments and questions that the audience, here are just a few I remember:

QA - AI levels the difference between very skilled and experienced people and others...so how will that affect new roles?

I believe that AI will probably level the ground and make talent even more relevant for promising careers, as skills that are rooted upon talents and passions will be more fruitful than compulsory learning.

I had never thought of that, but I realise that AI might actually make talent even more relevant in the future, as hopefully people will have more time to invest in what they are passionate about learning and on the other hand it may be that they realise that the difference between learning something you don't like and something your passion about makes an enormous difference.

QA - How do you see AI, is it good or bad?

Nobody has the authority to tell us whether I will be good or bad, but we all have the individual responsibility to decide and make (good) use of it.

I struggle with binary answers to complex issues and I never chase questions that polarize me, but I do have to day that the question made me say the obvious at first. Only you can decide. Currently no one has the authority to tell you whether it is good or bad. It’s up to you!?

I think it's more important for you to decide and to make good use of it, for whatever purpose you see fit. I believe that those who dwell on this question are only losing time.?

But, as we spoke of AI, Ethics naturally had to arise in the conversation. I realized that I worry more about the “government” of AI than its “constitution”. It seems to me that it’s more important to think about who has control of AI's use. Should AI be owned and controlled by private companies or jointly controlled by sovereign states?. I don’t have answers.

My Personal Observations & Learnings

The most important take-away from the conversation is that it is vital we don't look for "one-size-fits-all" answers, but rather discover our personal perspectives on what to do.

When I talk in these circles of thought, I find that people react to the changes we need to embrace as personas, as HR leaders, Business Managers or CEO's, when in reality the changes we need to face are all at a human, and individual level. They affect us all, individually.

That's because it is easier to shift the focus away from ourselves and point elsewhere. We point our fingers to others, whether they are governments or politicians, business leaders or poor bosses, schools and teachers or even parents and other family influencers, but we all need to take full responsibility for our own understanding of the world of work and our individual career and learning choices.

It's much easier to generalize and generalizationlize, our thoughts about what will happen to jobs and careers in the future.?

I believe this is an era of liberation, one where people are summoned to use their freedom wisely and with personal responsibility for their choices.

So let's think about these changes as individuals, let's think what this means for each and everyone of us individually.?

"If you don't take time (in your present) to craft your future, someone will do it for you!"

I encourage you to think “What does this all? mean to me and most importantly what should I do for myself?”

I want to thank? Gon?alo Madeira (for the pictures that inspired me to go back and share these precious learnings), as well as Mariana Borges de Sousa for sending these to me.?

I also want to thank Ana Isabel Sousa, Steve Cadigan and Ricardo Gon?alves for the exciting conversation and I hope you share your insights and learnings in response to this piece.