How to build a career that will stand the test of time

Twenty-five years ago, most journalists were pounding the pavements to find the latest scoop and sources were checked with phone calls and in meetings instead of Google.

News stories were typed in triplicate and retyped on thin paper to be laid into printing presses, and photographs were developed in a dark room. The deadline panic meant all hands on deck until the very minute the paper was “put to bed”.

In less than two decades, many newsroom roles have become defunct while others have evolved almost beyond recognition.

Runners aren’t needed anymore because we email files instead of distributing hard copy pages, photographers work in a digital world, and the pages are designed with computer software in minutes.

The news is now on a 24/7 cycle, and many interviews are conducted over the phone or email, meaning each journalist is producing more stories every day within a much shorter time frame.

With emerging technologies and evolving customer demands, the media industry is faster-paced than ever before; the same stands true for every aspect of our professional and personal lives.

The media landscape isn’t the only industry that has changed rapidly with automation and technology redefining roles in engineering and manufacturing, medicine, agriculture among others.

Which industries will offer greater opportunities into the future?

While emerging technologies have meant that in some industries roles have dissolved while in many others, new jobs have surfaced.

The Australian Government’s Future Outlook estimated in 2018 that within five years the nation would have around 886,000 more jobs.

It predicts that the strongest industries for job growth will be in:

• Health care and social assistance
• Construction
• Education and training
• Professional, scientific and technical services

Also, EY’s 2018 University of the Future white paper predicts that there will be a rise in continuous learning and development.

“Technology disruption is affecting the nature of employment and employability. As workplaces change, so does what it takes for a graduate to be ‘work ready’. The future of work will be radically different, primarily driven by the machine economy, where robotics and machine learning take over repetitive and programmable human tasks, and artificial intelligence augments human roles.”

What does this world of constant change mean for students?

Your university education isn’t just important because of the areas of specialisation you are building your knowledge in. In addition to your degree in nursing, accounting, IT and so on, you should also leave with the ability to understand how to learn independently and engage in self-directed learning and continuous learning.

Learning isn’t merely about applying content you are provided with. It’s a process where you discover more about the field you are interested in, and in doing so, you find out more about yourself and your capabilities, interests and drivers. It’s more than likely that when you graduate and begin your first job that you will not stay in the same career for your 40-year working life. This means that your ability to upskill and find or create new opportunities will be more important than ever — take advantage of career development opportunities to stay relevant and competitive.

The Australian Government’s 2018 Jobs in the Future report reveals that: “Employers have an increasing focus on transferable skills which enable workers to adapt to changing workforce demands. Job seekers who can show that they have these skills, in addition to role-specific expertise, will have an advantage in recruitment processes.”

These skills include:

• Digital literacy
• Critical thinking
• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Presentation skills.

Agility, resilience, critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills (to support and drive innovation and improvements) will also be highly valued.

Decades ago you may have worked in one or two industries whereas in today’s and tomorrow’s world you may change industries or careers multiple times. While no one can predict the future, you can prepare yourself by not being afraid to think outside the box and investing in transferrable skills that will serve you in any job or industry.

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