Our founder Dr. Adeola Olubamiji shares her thoughts on skill sets of the future and how to ensure you have the right skill sets to help you to stay relevant in 2020. 

Happy New Year!

Today I would like to talk to you about the jobs of the future. Do you remember a time when typing was a highly-sought-after skill? Recruiters would hire a person with fast typing skills as a typist or secretary. Look at how far we have come since then. From appreciating typing to moving into coding and now we are talking about industry 4.0 skill sets such as robotics, big data and analytics, 3D printing, blockchain, and cybersecurity. 

All of these skill sets did not exist a decade ago. What does this mean? Skill sets change fast. Therefore, you need your skill set to be up to date if you want to remain relevant. In 10-20 years from now, new skill sets will eclipse the very skill sets that people like me are cashing on. 

Are you wondering what is introducing these new skill sets? The concept is known as Industry 4.0 or the 4th Industrial Revolution. Industry 4.0 is the result of progress in the integration of physical and digital production and consumption. It is driven by a convergence of advances in sensors, advanced materials, and robotics with digital platforms, artificial intelligence and big data analytics, linked by the Internet of Things. 

In the era of Industry 4.0, we will experience interconnection, information transparency, decentralized decisions, and technical assistance. This will bring about exciting things such as self-driving cars, phones communicating with appliances (Alexa is an example), and devices that help us make decisions based on previous things we have done. For instance, targeted adverts based on what we searched for online or human-like robots making decisions that they were not capable of making without intense programming in the past. 

Regarding economic aspects, these new technologies will challenge established business models and market structures.  The emergence of Industry 4.0, will also create new jobs and require new types of skills that we do not currently have in our labor force or are just getting introduced. Therefore, universities need to adjust their curriculums to feed these employer needs. 

The cybersecurity, blockchain, and artificial intelligence aspects of Industry 4.0 will also bring advancement and risks to our national defense,  individual security and cause changes to other sectors such as agriculture.

As these new and exciting technologies begin to emerge, the generic skill sets that have made people experts will now no longer be enough. I, therefore, encourage you to take an honest self-assessment of the skillsets in your resume. Take a look at your resume and ask yourself the following questions:

Will my present skill sets be relevant in 10 years?

What is it about you that will make your company keep you when thousands of people get laid off or fired?  

What do you have on your resume that will make them say we cannot lose this person?

If my skill sets will not be relevant, what will the replacement be? 

Will this new niche give me the chance to reposition myself as an expert and help me generate new intellectual properties or allow me to become an inventor?

To make myself indispensable at my job, do I need to attend college to obtain an advanced degree?  Is there any online program that can help me learn new skills?

After this candid evaluation, I hope you have a clear understanding of what skill sets you need to remain a player in your field. Acquire the new skill sets that you need by taking online courses or find a coach to guide you through the courses you need. 

In this new year, I want you to think about how you can use new skill sets to make more money, get promoted or look for another job. The world is moving towards digitalization. Think about building stronger skill sets this year. 

I love you. Talk to you again soon. 🙂

Bye! 

Dr. Adeola