It’s no secret that automation, machine learning, and robotics have arrived, but many people still don’t realize the disruption that automation can cause to even highly-skilled workers.
Protect yourself from putting your financial future in jeopardy. Yes, the age of automation has arrived, but the good news is such technology can present opportunities and rewards for those willing to embrace or get ahead of it.
If you aren’t at least a little bit concerned about your job and financial well-being, it’s time to put some thought into the prospect that you might be the next victim of automation. Could you imagine all the skills and experience that you have acquired over the years being no longer needed? The financial impact to you and your family could be devastating, but take heart, there are things you can do today to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
Think about how you can add value and venture out of your comfort zone to expand your skills.
Never stop learning and improving your skills.
It’s easy to become complacent when it comes to advancing our skills, but we aren’t competing in a static job market, and companies and trades are continually evolving, so you should as well. Sign up for on-line or in-person continuing education classes. Take on new opportunities or tasks if the opportunity presents itself.
Be a critical and creative thinker.
The need for soft skills is critical, so brush up on your human talents. Companies increasingly need people with great interpersonal skills who are self-aware, open to new ideas and able to collaboratively explore new ways of doing things.
Bring more value to the table.
By increasing your value, you have a fighting chance against the forces of change at work in our world today. Keep your eyes peeled and mind open to exactly where you fit into the scheme of things and notice when opportunities present themselves.
Get your hands around your finances.
It’s crucial to have in place a financial plan which anticipates one or more worst-case scenarios. Your what-if hypotheticals should explore a job loss, a significant reduction in compensation, etc. By exploring these situations, you can start to develop actions you would take if the machines come for your job and take it, or at least take a piece of it.
Embrace automation and a forward-thinking mindset.
Individuals who embrace technology and collaborate with co-workers will be more valuable to companies and therefore more employable than those who keep fighting the system and trying to avoid change in any form.
