The robots are coming for our jobs. That’s a line we’ve all heard at one point or another. And never more so than in the middle of a global pandemic and one of the worst recessions in memory. It is literally the opening line of Andrew Yang’s book The War on Normal People. The truth is that the global pandemic, made automation inevitable, and human skills and labor are at risk of losing relevance. Job losses and a recession are forcing people to try and future proof their skillsets. But what if you’re unsure where to start? Do you go back to school? Stock up on energy drinks and teach yourself to code into the wee hours of the morning? How do you level up or upskill in a global pandemic?
Start where you are
A good friend of mine and I were chatting about this very idea last week. My friend works in technology for a major bank and has explored this space extensively. Her advice – start where you are. It’s a myth (and a common one born of fear) that new technologies mean people need to learn brand new disciplines. The truth is that technology will be applied to disciplines that already exist – from medicine, to law to marketing to sales. So, learning new skills is less about learning an entirely new industry, and more about figuring out the technologies that are going to impact you, exactly where you are. And getting comfortable with them.
Build a digital presence
To succeed in a digital world, you need to be discoverable. There is no better way to be discoverable than by creating a digital presence and building a digital brand.
Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia talks about this almost constantly. Having built an empire by identifying the internet as a “land-grab” opportunity, Gary’s take is that digital content, produced at scale will bring anyone opportunities. The key is to do it consistently and relentlessly. So, start that blog or YouTube channel or podcast. Write online and start building a digital brand. One that is less susceptible to technological threats.
Learn for free
Gone are the days of going back to school for a four-year college degree to switch careers. The world is changing at a breathtakingly fast pace and by the time you’re done with that degree the learning might be stale for the economy. College degrees hold a place, especially if you’re academically inclined but there are millions of resources online that are free or very cheaply available to help you.
SKillshare and Masterclass have online classes on anything and everything, from social media branding to lucid dreaming. And they are taught by some of the best in their respective fields. The pandemic gave a lot of successful and busy people an opportunity to give back in the form of teaching. Anna Wintour taught a Masterclass on Creativity and Leadership. The opportunities are out there. And for the taking.
Embrace change
With change and new inventions comes fear. It’s normal and part of the process. When railroads were invented, thousands of people, whose jobs involved driving people around in horse drawn carriages had to face a new reality for transportation. Millions of people learned to operate trains, railroads and work in the rail industry. The key is to embrace the fear and remember that change is an opportunity to stretch yourself, grow and discover skills and passions you didn’t know you had.
Go to a place of creativity
Look around you. Look at every piece of furniture, every item of clothing or technology in your home. Look at everything outside. Anything that isn’t part of the natural world was once just an idea in someone’s head. That idea came from a place of creativity. Inventiveness. And someone breathed life into it and made it a reality through flawless execution.
Humans are creative creatures. It’s our ingenuity and inventive nature that has brought us out of caves to skyscrapers, taken us to the moon and is now working on taking us to Mars. Creativity is irreplaceable and it exists in all of us. Automation might threaten our repetitive, routine jobs. Artificial Intelligence may even be able to adapt, learn new skills and get creative, but the depth and complexity of human creativity is something that is near impossible to replicate. So, when in doubt, go back to that place. You likely have a few brilliant ideas up your sleeve.
You don’t need to learn to code or take python classes at night to level up your skills. You just need to start thinking broadly, beyond what you’re currently doing and embrace learning. New technologies don’t have to be scary. With a little effort and planning, the score will take care of itself.
