Beat the Machine – All you need to know
It may sound like a broken record, but the most important tool you have is your mind. There’s a lot being said about the doom and gloom of jobs being shut down by technology. We’re meant to be helpless and the inevitable now seems imminent. But just because an unstoppable force is approaching, that doesn’t mean we can’t step out of its way and beat the machine.
Advanced computers, robotics, and artificial intelligence are posing a threat of redundancy to workers in a variety of industries. Sophisticated technologies are built to be faster, more productive and more efficient than we could ever hope to be. This is a realistic threat, and many more jobs and industries will be automated in the near future.
If you are in this boat and fear being replaced by the latest supercomputer, there are some ways to buck the trend:
Make yourself stand out:
The human brain is far more powerful than any technology will ever be. You have the innate abilities of creativity, intuition, and innovation. Wherever you are able, propose new ideas and think laterally about issues. Personalise your work, create new concepts, and most importantly, use technology to improve your value.
Be daring:
Trying something new is never a bad idea. Always try and reinvent yourself and consider that you are more than your current job title. There are universal skills that you’ve developed in your current endeavors that you may not even recognise, but you are prepared for a multitude of careers. So don’t be hesitant to refresh and set new goals in a different career.
Grow with the flow – the adaptable crow:
During an experiment (shown below), a crow was taken out of the wild and forced to solve a puzzle of rocks and sticks to get its next meal. The crow used two different sized sticks to move rocks out of a cage into a box to access the meat. Not a crows typical method of getting its food, it works out a system to get to its food.
What can be taken from this example? the importance of adaptability! In many cases, redundancy occurs not because technology is replacing us, but we don’t know how to use it. It’s important that you stay familiar with the newest technologies and trends, which could mean enrolling in a course or simply subscribing to an industry newsletter.
If the issue of redundancy alarms you, get in touch with a career development coach or mentor! Me Afterwork has a wide base of experts in this area, that are dedicated to providing you with the guidance you need.
