The Future Of Work Is Solving Problems
Millennials can have it tough these days.
With more students graduating from college or university than ever before and entering a challenging workforce, the chances of finding a career that fulfills you, seem a daunting task, indeed.
It’s only natural that young people feel unsure when entering the world of work – we are faced with headlines about robots taking over our jobs and many traditional industries disappearing altogether.
But what makes Millennials, (a generation born of distrust towards corrupted institutions and bad government decisions) so unique, is their vision of the world – they possess a genuine desire to make the world a better place.
Social media has given Millennials access to knowledge that was previously available for the selected few.
It is expected that by 2025, Millennials will make up around 75% of the US workforce, so the topic of employment is an important issue for the world at large.
Thankfully, as old jobs disappear, even more are created, so there is no shortage of opportunities so long as you know what to look for.
Less routine, more automation
The rise of automation thanks to the rapid growth of AI technology and cloud computing are making some routine jobs disappear at a speedy rate.
For Millennials, this means less boredom and more opportunities to devote their skills to more rewarding and life-enriching careers.
This also means more flexibility in working hours and more availability of careers, that require the creativity millennials are known to have, and new jobs which did not exist five or ten years ago.
The digital age and technology have opened up plenty of doors for those with the required skills, and many of these jobs are in high demand.
The last decade has also seen a shift in the recruitment and job-search automation, where young job-seekers are relying almost entirely on automated technology to find job offers, using job search engines, job aggregators and job sites like Jobrapido (through which you can apply for many vacancies at a time).
STEM is cool
Careers in the STEM industries (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) are expected to skyrocket in the next ten years.
In this technological age, it’s wise to ask yourself: What real life problems do I wish to solve? How can I serve others?
And not necessarily: What do I love doing?
STEM workers are problem solvers and closely related to each other. For example, math provides the foundation for physics—and physics, in turn, for engineering. Engineers, then, apply their knowledge of physics to make high-tech devices that solve real problems.
Which swiftly, leads me to …
Job mash-up trend
A new trend in career choices for millennials, means combining skill sets from different fields to create something unique and innovative—which itself will open up avenues for new opportunities.
For example, your passions for engineering, social analytics and social justice can be combined and prompt you to develop an app to devote to important causes, that can bring social justice.
Or you may be a blogger, who can write articles or shoot and edit a YouTube video and get thousands of views and likes, which was previously only accessible for broadcasters.
Many companies are looking for slashers – people who specialise in more than one thing.
Employers are increasingly looking for people who can think outside the box for consultancy purposes: SEO strategists, architectural designers, social media managers, software developers and programmers are all highly sought after.
Development of unexplored potential and a cross-fertilisation of diverse disciplines and fields of knowledge by people who can think outside of conventional norms, will be a vital component for any business.
