How To Prepare Yourself For Work In The Brave New World
Not just a university of technology, but a university of real industry experience.
High school is a weird experience at the best of times, but there’s no two ways about it: this is an especially weird year to finish high school.
The class of 2020 is graduating in the middle of a lot of upheaval. There’s a global pandemic still raging. Australia’s in a recession. Many industries are hurting in a big way.
So how does one plan for the future when nobody’s even particularly sure what tomorrow will look like? The good news is that it doesn’t have to feel scary. In fact, there’s a lot to look forward to, and a few simple things you can do now to set yourself up for success down the path.
A lot of it starts with knowing what to look for in a uni course. So, here’s a few ways the workforce is going to evolve in the years to come – and how you can best navigate it.
First up, the good news
Graduating in the middle of a recession sounds bad, but it does come with some silver linings.
“I graduated from uni in a recession and it brings unique opportunities because there’s an appetite to innovate in a way that isn’t there when times are good,” says Bronwyn Fox, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at Swinburne University of Technology.
“Right now, I’m seeing a level of creativity and problem solving in activities that I just have never seen before in my lifetime. It’s a really exciting time to be graduating because you’ve got the opportunity to create your own future, rather than just slot into a particular role or job.”
Technology roles are going to be in
Right now, the world is in the midst of Industry 4.0, the fourth wave of the industrial revolution, which has been spurred by digitisation. Technology, man.
That means there’s going to be growth in fields like engineering, digital ethics and data science, as the way we build things becomes faster and smarter. Expect to see a “renaissance in manufacturing,” says Bronwyn Fox.
“I’m a big fan of promoting careers in engineering because engineers solve problems for humanity,” she says. “Today, engineers are at the cutting edge of technology, they’re bringing together teams and they’re solving big societal problems.”
So, look for courses that teach you to innovate: “I think they’re the kind of courses that are really exciting,” Fox says.
Image: Kvalifik / Unsplash
The intersection of humanity and technology will be really important
But the growth in technology doesn’t mean human input won’t be needed. Quite the opposite, says Fox.
“The human element is absolutely critical,” she says. Moving forward, jobs will be all about how the human mind and technology can come together to make a difference to society.
“We know that artificial intelligence algorithms have some biases we need to be very careful with, and that humans bring a creative element that just isn’t possible with AI alone,” she says. “But if we look at it the other way around, artificial intelligence can also bring out the best human performance in a team.”
You know that exploding brain meme everyone loves? Pretty much that.
Boring tasks are going to be automated
And if you’re wondering what jobs won’t be around in 10 years’ time?
“It’s not going to be jobs that aren’t in demand, it’s going to be tasks,” Fox explains. “So, I don’t think we’re going to see a big shift in the way that jobs are looked at, but we are going to see a transition into new tasks.”
For instance, in the ‘90s, the banking sector was very human-led. Then the rise in ATMs and online banking meant we needed less human tellers. Tellers? I don’t know her. But the banking industry didn’t shrink – instead, more roles were created in financial management services and advice.
Fox says we’ll see more of those dreary tasks automated in the future, which will leave room for roles that bring out “the best of human potential, problem solving and providing advice to other people.” Nice.
Image: Alex Knight / Unsplash
And no, you don’t *have* to learn to code
Once upon a time (um, about five or 10 years ago), the narrative was that, to work in tech, you had to learn to code, Fox says.
Nowadays, “it’s actually more important to learn to problem solve”.
“Coding does teach you problem solving, but there are now some technological solutions where you can create apps and solutions using a very low code platform,” she says. “So, you don’t have to learn to code anymore to develop digital solutions.”
So, if you’re interested in technology but aren’t super deep into computer stuff beyond what we learned to hack our MySpace page or Tumblr back in the day, don’t be deterred.
Last but not least, industry experience is vital
Another factor that will make a big difference to your future employability is real industry experience, like placements or internships, in the industry you want to work in. That’s why Swinburne makes industry engagement a key part of their degrees, Fox says, and why every teen TV and movie loves an internship plotline.
“[Industry experience] really puts your learning into context,” she says. “From my own experience, I didn’t really understand what I was learning and the value of what I was learning in my science degree until I did vocation work in industry.”
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Face the brave new world with real industry experience. If the uni you’ve picked hasn’t offered it to you yet, then choose again. Choose Swinburne.
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(Lead image: Annie Spratt / Unsplash)