Adapt or Get Left Behind

When was the last time you learned a new skill? I hope your answer is not, "Since I graduated from college"! If so, please keep reading. This article may be the most important one you will read this year. 

We have all heard about artificial intelligence (AI), or AI for short. AI is in the news, in cocktail conversations, at work, everywhere. It is a hot topic! The conversations range from how it is the best technology ever to how it will put so many of us out of work. The fact is that neither of those statements are true! 

While I don't have a magic eight-ball and can't predict the future, I am confident that our jobs are safe. The types of jobs may change, but there will be available positions. It is not the first time an invention has threatened to take jobs or has actually taken jobs, but new ones have come along. Remember the invention of cars, and horses lost their jobs? Okay, I don't either, but you get my point. Before then, there were no car mechanics or gas stations. New jobs came about! 

The problem isn't the loss of jobs; the problem is adaptation. Every problem has a solution, and the solution for AI is to learn how it may assist you in your work and provide new job opportunities. AI is technology, and technology will always require human input. 

Instead of fearing new technology, focus on upskilling. Upskilling is simply lifelong learning. If we never learn anything new after we get our degree and land our first job, we can't blame a new invention for taking our job. We must blame ourselves. Times change, and so must we if we desire to remain relevant. 

According to SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, 95% of executives and HR professionals say individuals with only skilled credentials perform the same or better than individuals with traditional degrees. This article also states that 8 in 10 HR professionals agree that recognizing skilled credentials widens the pipeline and makes it easier for diverse candidates to obtain employment. 

To remain relevant and continue to enhance our skills, we must continue to learn, and that doesn't always mean going to or returning to college. 

Many jobs today do not require a degree but may require a certificate, especially in technology. The skills may be in the form of a training certificate, a course completion certificate, or an industry or professional certificate.

Let me give you an example. I knew I wanted to become a C-suite executive early in my career. To do that, I had to have a college degree and director credentials, an internal program in my industry that took several years to complete. 

I told my boss I had enrolled in college to complete my bachelor's degree and wanted to begin the internal program simultaneously. He told me that due to budget constraints, I could only take one class a year. I then went back to him with a plan. 

Since the classes I needed to obtain my director credential were offered all over the United States, I offered to take courses where I had family so he would not have to pay travel costs. He agreed! I also applied for grants to assist with my college tuition costs. I was on the fast track, and in less than two years, I had my Director credentials, which assisted me in getting my next promotion while continuing to work on my college degree. 

When I left my career of 30 years to become a business and career coach and consultant, I looked into more certificates to enhance my degree and skills as a former CEO. I obtained certificates in Diversity and Inclusion from the University of Miami Business School, Women Studies from E-Cornell, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and DISC and Strengths assessment coaching certifications. These certifications have enhanced my knowledge and my offerings as a consultant. Several of these were free, and those with a charge were less than a semester of college. I am currently enrolled in a change management course as I write this article. I love to learn, and an education is never a waste of money. 

I am not advocating that college is not needed or beneficial. However, there are other ways to achieve career success. Get creative; the employer and the employee win when one continues to enhance their knowledge. 

Reference: 

https://www.shrm.org/in/foundation/skills-first