In the past 2 or 3 years we have been constantly inundated with subjects like skills and professions that will no longer be relevant in the next certain number of years and we just glossed over them like the usual ranting of those who pose like they know too much, if not everything.
Whether the proponents knew what they were saying or not, the realities of the uncertainties of the time piques our memory and takes us back to those things we had heard. And while they may not have exact ideas what would lead to those certain jobs going extinct, the truth is that we are seeing it right before us.
With the Covid-19 pandemic changing the way we view our world, making us aliens in the world we thought we knew or we thought was ours, and therefore changing how we live, work and earn, it's time to look critically at those things that were said but which we never paid attention to.
What skills are threatened by extinction?
Essentially, any skill that programs and software can replace, whether it be accounting, printing and publishing now online, cashiers going digital, travel agents, cars and other manufacturers losing their jobs to machines, bank tellers, the armed forces and warfare being taken over by technology, telemarketers losing to targetted ads, stock traders jobs being taken over by robots, and more.
In Africa, some of these and more may take a while to take hold, but it's not something we can run away from for long. While this does not seem likely at the moment, it will definitely happen because as the years go by and as the world gets automated and increasingly globalized, these things will no longer be negotiable.
Presently, traditional classroom teaching is being taken over by online programs. From way back too, online courses have been trending, where you don't have to be guided by any instructor. All of these are a foretaste of the eventualities that we can't avoid. We can only accept them and apply ourselves to them accordingly. Mind you, continuous learning and adaptability to tough conditions are core requirements, going forward.
What skills are becoming increasingly relevant?
What skills do you think will be in demand and continue to be in demand? Essentially, skills that cannot be digitalised, shared online, robotised and the like will be on their way out of the market.
This may not immediately include agriculture, farming and food processing, mining, fishing and the harnessing of natural resources, though. However, Israel is already putting artificial intelligence into agriculture with precision farming. Again, less attractive skills like tailoring, plumbing, mechanic, repairs, carpentry and general artisanry will become increasingly invaluable and expensive. Do not forget too, some of them cannot escape automation for long.
Critical thinking and problem solving skills, emotional intelligence, tech savviness & artificial intelligence, adaptability & flexibility, creativity & innovation quotient, cultural intelligence & diversity, being a lifelong learner, influence leadership & entrepreneurship, judgment & decision making will increasingly be in demand. Each of these and more must be accompanied with digital skills and tech savviness.
What values will stay, regardless?
Values will remain values. I mean, nothing can change integrity and honesty. A diligent person will stay diligent online as well as offline. Collaboration will not cease to be. Same applies to service, accountability, dependability, reliability, loyalty, commitment, open-mindedness, consistency, efficiency and more. These are enduring values for all time.
What can I do now?
What you can do now is to apply yourself to the realities of the time. You have to brace up to the challenge of the time and what's trending in the horizon. You have to reach within you and dig out the hidden treasures that you may need to start developing. This is what you will bring to the digital intelligence table of value. While this may not come easy, as no good thing does, it is not impossible. You have to engage with yourself first.
What are you certain of in these uncertain times?
Is it anything of such value that people will be willing to pay handsomely for? Is it something you can deploy, manage and support from the comfort of your home? These are the critical questions you must provide answers to if you must be taken seriously in the emerging months and years ahead.
If you haven't already, click here to get your e-version of my book, ASCENTS AND DESCENTS.
