Why soft skills are the new power skills
The time has come for humans to do what we do best
The world of work is rapidly changing and our approach to careers must change too.
The days of a job for life are gone. The prospect of having 15–20 jobs over a working life and a growing ‘gig economy’ look set to make multiple jobs the new normal. The ability to pivot from job to job will require new skills and a fresh mindset.
The pace of technological change is now exponential and unlike anything humanity has previously experienced.
Traditional education systems throughout the World are often outdated and failing to prepare young people for their future careers. How can they, when it is estimated that 65% of young children will do jobs which don’t yet exist?
My own experience some 20 years ago, and the experience of millions of others since, is the same. Our education system assumes you have one path. It is geared to those who are fixed on a particular career goal.
Whilst this may have suited the few, the many are left to find their own path and offered little in the way of adequate career advice. The sad cost of its design, means along the way the talent and imagination of young people is lost as they are squeezed through the educational funnel.
For me, the University route didn’t feel right. It felt like a game for other people to play. The idea that you could know what you wanted to do in later life at that young age always seemed absurd to me.
Instead, I went to work straight from college and moved from job to job using the skills sets learned to pivot onto the next thing. I have had success. I’ve achieved promotions, I’ve created and led successful and innovative teams. I’ve acquired new skills, I’ve followed my interests and my intuition to decide what is next. I found my own path and I found my talents in the places my education did not.
Whether you follow the encouraged path to University and a particular field of work, or whether you choose to go straight to work and find your own way, the reality of work is the same for all of us. There are many paths and many twists which lie ahead.
With or without a degree in a particular field, your career is almost certainly going to be a story of uncertainty, of wrong turns, of frequent adjustments and often of fundamental changes of direction. In the end, we all end up playing the same game.
There is a widespread and growing agreement the education system needs change and that it’s unlikely to change anytime soon. I see it resonate with people in TED talks and Youtube videos (links below). I hear it in nearly every conversation I have with parents, teachers and employees. The opinion is that for many people, education is failing. Failing to prepare young people for their future. Failing to prepare young people for change.
Change, is guaranteed. We are on the brink of the 4th Industrial Revolution and it will fundamentally alter everything about the way we work, live and interact with the world.
From artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and nanotechnology to 3D printing, virtual reality and biotechnology, the revolution will disrupt nearly every industry we know.
This relentless change is bringing boundless opportunity, but it will also require humans to adapt the work we do and focus on the things we do best. The high value career skills of the future, the constant in the midst of all the change, will be human skills.
Regardless of your job or industry or even your education, developing the agility to shift and adapt your career and developing powerful human skills, will be the difference in your level of success.
This is why I created nimbla. To help people find a fulfilling career path, to shine a light on the future of work and to give you the edge you’re going need in a changing world.
Whether you’re a young person who worries about your future career or someone who followed a path and found themselves completely stuck, I know how daunting it can feel to not know where you’re heading.
I want you to know that not knowing your path is OK. In fact it is inevitable. But not knowing what to do next can be terrifying.
I created nimbla primarily to help people get unstuck when their career path is unclear or has become unfulfilling. But I also believe those who will have an edge tomorrow, are those who can start acquiring the valuable skills of the future, today.
In a future where the only constant is change, we need to get better at change.
In a future where people will work alongside technology like never before, we need to get better at the things only people can do.
Whether that is developing emotional and social intelligence or targeted career enhancing skills like problem solving, innovation or career agility, these will be the skills which will only increase in value over time.
In the past some of these skills would have been called ‘soft skills’. I think it’s time for a re-brand. These are “Power skills”. These are tomorrow’s skills, today.
I’m building a community of people who want to know how to reignite and supercharge their careers now and get ready for the future of work.
Join the community here to find out more about the work of nimbla and to get involved.
Perhaps you have a story to share about how you have successfully navigated changes in your career path? If so, I’d love to hear how you did it.
Or perhaps you know someone who would like help with their career, If so, please share this with them.
