This post is sponsored by Chandler Macleod
If you’re wondering what the careers of the future will look like in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time, you’re not alone. I know that many of you are Gen Y, like me, and you’re probably not too far along in your career. So, where to next? How do we stay relevant in an increasingly digitised world?
Will everything eventually be handled by robots and computers? Will not only blue-collar, physical labor workers’ jobs become automated, but also some white-collar roles (including even journalism, as the Associated Press announced last month?). The answer is, yes, some of these types of jobs will.
According to a September 2013 study by the University of Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science, titled The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerisation?, “about 47 per cent of total US employment is at risk” of their jobs becoming automated. That’s just about one in two jobs. What’s more, says the report,”computerisation is no longer confined to routine manufacturing tasks.” I guess that means we’d better keep up with progress and technology – as the report concludes, “This [automation] is likely to change the nature of work across industries and occupations.” Don’t worry, though – it’s likely that the majority of us will adapt, and very well too. Consider what the workforce during the Industrial Revolution era looked like. Pretty different to today, I’d imagine.
There’s one industry that’s unlikely to be going away any time soon: web development. According to the latest research by recruitment company Chandler Macleod, based on statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there’s currently 30,300 UI and UX Website Designers in Australia and this figure is only growing. These guys are responsible for the user interface and experience of websites, including the usability, graphics and design. They have knowledge of HTML, CSS and Javascript, yet although it may be considered a technical role, two of the key skills of web design are writing and listening.
Do you need to be a website designer in order to evolve with the careers of tomorrow? Definitely not, but it certainly pays to keep up to date. Here’s five key ways you can ensure you remain as cutting-edge as possible in your field.
- Keep learning. You should never, ever stop evolving. Not only does remaining stagnant keep your life less fun and full of healthy challenges, but it can also halt your career – and therefore your earning – progress too. You don’t necessarily need to do postgraduate studies, but it’s a great idea to take advantage of on-the-job training opportunities where possible, if you’re not planning any additional learning outside of your immediate work.
- Take up opportunities where possible. Look for new projects that you can assist on that will build your skill-set and experience, which may take you into a new or evolved role eventually.
- Pay attention to trends and changes in your industry. Read industry journals and magazines; subscribe to LinkedIn job updates and feeds about your industry and in general be aware of what’s going on, and what’s changing. It’s far better to be on the front foot with changes – you’ll rarely be surprised.
- Always add value in your role/s. Just doing your role well is great, but always look for ways that you can add value to your role, your team or for your clients. People will never forget you, and are more likely to ask for you or recommend you down the track.
- Maintain a strong network within your industry. Speak to others, network, find out what’s going on across your field. You may learn about a new sector you want to check out and work your way towards next, or you might just find out where some of the issues are so that you can avoid them or come up with a strategy for coping with any changes in advance. Not only that, but networking is the best way to meet and connect with people who may endorse you down the track – and vice versa.
How do you see your industry evolving?
