Rethinking tech job roles and upskilling in the digitally disrupted era

I am on an upskilling journey to polish my knowledge in areas where I already have knowledge and experience but just to check out any new changes in those specific domains. From a couple of courses and pieces of training that I have completed so far, surprise! Surprise! A lot has changed and more is evolving ha!

In this digitally disrupted era, you can’t rely only on past skills or experience and get comforted that you will survive or thrive in the digitally disrupted workplace. Relying on past knowledge to make future career or business decisions is no longer viable.

With the rapid invention, innovation, and diffusion of technology and in business processes (Rapid technological change involves technologies like big data, the Internet of Things, machine learning, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Cloud computing, Robotic Process Automation, 3D printing, biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energy technologies, satellite and drone technologies, etc.) upskilling has become more crucial and this made me think of a couple of questions below:

1. Are higher institutions of learning using course content that is preparing learners for current roles in the digitally disrupted era? How often are the study materials refreshed before the start of a new semester? Relatedly, every year universities release new graduates to the job market, are they market-ready?
2. Do recruitment agencies use updated Job Descriptions when sourcing candidates for evolving tech roles?
3. Even before writing a job description for a job advertisement, do hiring teams reflect on the current and future business needs to verify that this role would directly solve the business need?
4. Are organizations ready to invest in continuous training of their employees
5. Are experienced professionals upskilling to operate, and thrive in the evolving technology?
6. Are line managers performing skills gap assessments for their teams?
7. When was the last time your job description was reviewed to reflect your exact current roles despite the changes in the business process?
8. Are we intentionally committed to continuous learning?

I guess, all these questions and many you may have on top mind regarding skills gaps in the tech industry make hiring talented teams even more trickier and yes the new skills shortage is impacting every organization’s ability to execute talent growth strategies successfully.

IT roles are evolving and we need to ensure that our teams have the necessary skills to stay abreast in their roles. For example; When an IT professional moves to a new role, or if changes are made to the infrastructure; they will probably need to add specific skills. For example; if an organization had an on-premise systems admin and then moves to the cloud, it’s essential that the System Administrator is adaptable and proficient with configuration management, requirements gathering, deployment planning, and completing detailed hands-on tasks, setting up database servers in the cloud, and will be responsible for the overall performance of cloud systems.

What does this point toward?

• Organizations now need to strategically grow talent for the long run because they already have a general idea of the skills and roles where the team excels and areas where the teams need to upskill.
• Hiring teams need to shift their attention to the skills and responsibilities of the roles in the evolving environment. This will help hiring managers decide who fits best into each role and how to best use their talents.?
• Proficient hands-on skills are essential regardless of how many degrees and certifications someone has. Not to discredit anyone's academic qualifications, but once you acquire a bunch of transcripts, certifications, and certificates, make it a routine to practice, practice, and practice......... we only master what we practice.
• If switching careers, try to understand the basics and the changes in the domains that you are switching to, and remember the learning curve may be stiffer compared with someone who has a background in the tech domain. Keeping an open mind and patience will enable you to learn. Everyone starts from somewhere.
• If you choose to upskill, embrace a beginner’s mindset while learning a new skill, course, domain, ask questions, etc. Everyone’s learning curve is different, allow yourself to learn like a child.
• Ask a lot of questions to understand new concepts.
• Teach, share, or train someone what you have learned, that's usually the best way to master something.

Way forward

Have you noticed that every industry has different perceptions regarding future job skills cultivation? Well, more innovations, inventions, and diffusions are emerging like hurricanes, and strategically stay relevant.

• Organizations need to rethink and assess how different industry structures impact employee perceptions regarding the cultivation of new job skills.
• There is a need to rethink tech job roles, skills required, and competencies.?For example, in recent years, organizations have dropped degree requirements for recruits and given priority to candidates with specialized skills.
• Recruiters are now sourcing for potential hires with skills rather than qualifications a term referred to as "skills-first recruitment" to ensure they don’t miss out on talent.
• Understand job requirements before sourcing and be ready to nurture talent, train, and upskill recruits.
• After acquiring a new skill, practice again and again, We learn more by doing

Remember that each individual is unique and our learning curves are different and the IT roles will change from now going forward. Some roles will be discontinued the same way we decommission old technology or other roles have already been replaced by AI.

As a professional, or rising professional, you have the power to create the career that you want. Most importantly, as you polish your technical competence, remember to work on your soft skills as well. As the two work hand in hand.

For us to thrive, we need to be disruptive thinkers. We need to think carefully, make decisions strategically, and act fast.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are my own.