Introduction

• A decade ago, social media manager was just an imaginary job title to most of us, and so was mobile app developer. With the increasing popularity of social media and the accelerating pace of technology, most of the children today will have jobs that don’t exist yet. This makes it difficult for kids to know what to study when it comes to future careers. So, how can you prepare your kids for a future career that no one can predict yet? The answer is to give young people the vital skills to adapt.

Complex problem-solving skills

• Scientific knowledge and literacy, as well as numeracy, are still vital. However, executives from world’s leading companies think that complex problem solving is the number one job skill in 2020 and beyond.
• Kids with strong problem-solving skills can have a promising career. Problems are always the center of what people do at work each day. Being a problem solver is vital to your success. With this skill, you can solve a problem quickly and effectively.
• Students must learn how to use tools and techniques that can enhance their approach to solving the problems faced by teams and organizations. If you are more successful at solving problems, you will be more successful at what you do. It’s vital to build a reputation as one who can handle tough situations in a positive way.

Critical thinking

• Can you analyze how you think and present evidence for your ideas? Mastering this skill will give you better control of your learning and empathy for other points of view. It is self-directed and self-disciplined thinking. It can help you in communicating effectively and solving problems more efficiently. Critical thinking is a vital skill so that you can think clearly and rationally. This skill is vital in research, blockchain in real estate, finance, and the legal profession. However, it is not restricted to these areas. If you can think well and solve problems, then you have an asset that you can use for any career that you wish to follow.
• This skill involves logic and reasoning. You need to use it to interrogate a problem, consider solutions to the problem, and weigh the pros and cons of every approach. A few years from now, organizations will see individuals with critical thinking skills as highly employable.
• How can critical thinking be integrated into a curriculum? Essay writing is a tried-and-tested method to help students engage in the critical thought process. But there are other more tools available.

Collaborative skills

• Humans could not have risen to prominence by working alone. That’s why students have to learn how to collaborate with others and develop that skill. In a modern workplace, teamwork is increasingly vital. Having social skills is also critical. Over the years, companies have put more emphasis on the interpersonal skills of their employees.
• Learning how to collaborate with others is vital in any work environment, and it is a skill that humans are still better at than robots. Keep in mind that in a workplace, interaction is critical. Workers support one another’s strengths, and they adapt flexibly to various circumstances. This non-routine communication is always a human advantage.
• But to coordinate with others, you need to have strong communication skills. It is a skill that requires awareness of people’s strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, you need to practice working with different personalities.

Creativity

• There are always new products and new technologies. Thus, employees will need to be more creative to benefit from those changes. Although robots can help us in getting what we want and put some at risk of losing their jobs, they are not as innovative as humans.
• In the future, creativity is a key skill when looking for a job. Just because you consider yourself as a non-creative person, you should remember that it is not exclusive to musicians, artists, and writers. Creativity means that you can connect the dots using diverse information to pull ideas together to have a new idea.

People management

• Even though most tasks in the future are automated and utilize advanced AI, employees will still be a critical part of a company. That’s because humans are more creative than robots. They are better at reading one another. Plus, they support each other’s ideas and energy. Unfortunately, humans get sick and distracted.
• Hence, companies will need managers and team leaders who know how to motivate their teams and maximize their productivity. In that way, they can easily respond to their needs. To be a great manager, you need to enhance your emotional intelligence and learn how to delegate tasks. Furthermore, you should develop your management style. Consider taking a leadership course or two and pick up some leadership books.

Ability to help people

• Having a service orientation is a skill that most companies will need today and in the future. If you have strong skills in this area, you can easily spot and anticipate the future needs of customers. Businesses in the energy department, for instance, would face consumer concerns about carbon footprints, food safety, and labor standards. Companies will have to learn to anticipate new consumer values so that they can translate these issues into product offers.
• With a service orientation, you can step into the minds of users and know what they value, dislike and fear most. From there, you can develop new products or adapt a service to future proof your brand.

Being flexible

• This is about being a mental gymnast. Cognitive flexibility is about how quick you can swing and twirl back and forth from one system to another. You need to be limber to see new patterns and make a unique association of ideas easily. To flex your cognitive muscles, you should learn new things every day and learn new ways to think. For example, you can learn an instrument or try an art class. Or you can read The Economist or The Economic Review to know about financial markets.
• When you expand your interests and go outside your comfort zone, you are embracing people who are challenging your worldviews. Doing it every day will prepare you for a job that does not exist yet. And your brand will thank you for it.

Negotiation skills

• Robots may be good at automating jobs, but they do not have social skills, which will be a more important skill in the future. Humans are better at social interaction. We’re also better at negotiations than robots. Even if you are in the technical department, you need to show better interpersonal skills and be able to negotiate with clients, teams, and managers.

Catrin Cooper

• Catrin is blogger and freelance writer from New York. She’s always ready to cover topics related to personal development, marketing, and education. Feel free to contact Catrin at catrincooper99@gmail.com. Her guest posts are free so don’t miss an opportunity to add some value to your blog.

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