< PreviousFUTURE PROOF YOUR FUTURE CAREERA S I’VE described and explained many times over the years we all care about the future of work not necessarily because we care about the work itself per se but because we really care about being paid for something so we can do, see, and experience things and have or maintain our lifestyles. And there’s the crux because if we, or more specifically technology, automate our jobs then it also eliminates our salaries. Which then neatly brings me onto this dedicated section on how we avoid this problem where I’ll not only be discussing and investigating the automation of hard and soft skills but I’ll also be answering that singular question that everyone cares about, namely what jobs in the future will be well paid or highly paid, and then which of those will be performed by humans and not machines. That’s the ambition anyway and determining the answers, especially across a short, medium, and long term time horizon is quite the grand challenge. So let’s get into it. FINDING YOUR TRIFECTA When it comes to the future of jobs most people don’t just want to do a job that they enjoy, they also want jobs that are ideally economically, personally, and socially rewarding. Or as I call it - the ultimate Trifecta. Despite this desire though the sad truth is that today the vast majority of people never realise their goals despite the fact that with some planning, some inner reflection, and some hard graft it’s possible. So, if it is possible to achieve your Trifecta then now you’re likely asking yourself how, so just continue reading. Finding Your Purpose To first find a job that you would find personally fulfilling and rewarding you need to find out what would drive and inspire you to leap out of bed every morning. Fortunately, the Japanese concept of Ikigai provides us with a superb framework for doing just that, and I’ll go into it in more depth in a couple of pages. Value Mapping Next, to find jobs that are economically 91311institute.comand socially rewarding - and this might sound odd at first - we need to dig into “Value.” In short, and quite literally, what it is and what factors need to come together in order to create jobs that are highly paid in the marketplace, and then separately socially rewarding. It’s worth noting here that these two perspectives of value - AKA value to the market and value to society - are distinctly different and shouldn’t be confused with one another. After all a job can be socially rewarding but not economically rewarding, and vice versa. So, in my quest to try to help you realise your Trifecta I’ll be digging into both kinds of value. The Right Skills For The Right Job Then, having deeply explored the first two my final task is to do my best to determine which hard and soft skills you will need to have in your metaphorical tool belt in order to win those rewarding jobs. Then, of course, we or I in this case, have the added wrinkle - and it’s a giant wrinkle at that - of also trying to figure out which of these hard and soft skills will be automated and when so that, ideally, and hence the purpose of this entire Codex, you can stay gainfully and happily employed in your perfect profession or professions until you choose to retire - irrespective of the changing market conditions. SUMMARY By following these steps it’s then my hope that we will have a robust framework to assess what skills we need to thrive as the job market and technology both continue to develop and evolve over time, what new job categories might be created in the future, and which of those jobs will be the most difficult - for whatever reasons - to automate. Notes: 92311institute.comMATTHEW GRIFFIN 311INSTITUTE.com THE ULTIMATE “FUTURE JOBS” QUESTION WHAT JOBS DO PEOPLE & THE MARKETS VALUE IN THE FUTURE & WHAT CAN BE AUTOMATED WHEN ?What are my passions and strengths? What skills do I possess that could benefit others? And, what problems do I want to solve in the world? Once you’ve identified your passions and strengths, it’s time to explore how you can use them to make a positive impact on the world. This is where the element of “what the world needs” comes into play. Consider the issues that matter most to you and how your unique skills and talents can contribute to solving them. It’s also essential to consider the practicalities of pursuing your Ikigai. While it’s important to follow your passions, it’s equally important to ensure that you can sustain yourself financially so, unsurprisingly, this is where the element of “what you can be paid for” comes in and you should research potential career paths or business opportunities that align with your Ikigai and assess their viability. Discovering your Ikigai requires experimentation, exploration, introspection, experimentation, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. It may involve facing challenges, overcoming obstacles, and taking risks, but the rewards of living a life aligned with your purpose are immeasurable, and when you find your Ikigai, you wake up each day with a sense of excitement and anticipation. You’re energised by the work you do and the impact you’re making, and you should feel a deep sense of fulfilment and connection to something greater than yourself. Finding your Ikigai is not a once in a lifetime event though. As you grow and evolve, so too may your Ikigai so it’s important to regularly reassess yourself and make adjustments as needed. SUMMARY In a world that often prioritises productivity and success over personal fulfilment embracing Ikigai can supremely satisfying, and it means redefining success on your own terms and pursuing a life that aligns with your passions and core values. So, take the time to explore your inner self, ask yourself tough questions and be honest with FIND YOUR PURPOSE . IKIGAI . I N THE fast paced ever changing world of ours it’s all too easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of what truly matters which is why all too often in some cases we find ourselves questioning the purpose of our existence, and wondering if we’re on the right path. This is precisely just the kind of existential question that the Japanese concept of “Ikigai” was designed to answer. SPEND TIME WITH YOURSELF Ikigai, which literally translates to “Reason for Being,” is the intersection of four key elements: What you love, What you’re good at, What the world needs, and What you can be paid for. When these four elements align, you’ve found your Ikigai, and not only will you have found your purpose but you’ll also be able to focus on finding a job that you love not loathe. For many people finding their Ikigai sounds easy enough, but in practise most people find it very difficult, if they even manage to discover it at all. The first step is to take a deep dive into yourself. Ask yourself questions like: 94311institute.comyour answers, and surround yourself with people who inspire and support you. And most importantly, trust in the journey. Notes: 96311institute.comMATTHEW GRIFFIN 311INSTITUTE.com THE TWO IMPORTANT DAYS IN LIFE ARE THE DAY YOU WERE BORN AND THE DAY YOU FIND OUT WHY .THE VAGARIES OF VALUE Despite having quite a sensible and straight forwards definition there’s a good reason why they say value is in the eye of the beholder - because it’s highly fluid. After all, it can be logical and quantified, and at the same time it can also be illogical and intangible. Additionally though there are many other factors that determine whether something is valuable or not, and the how valuable it is, such as supply and demand, scarcity and timing, and many others. Just taking a simple example if I tried to sell you a bottle of water in a supermarket for a million dollars then it’s unlikely anyone would buy it. However, take that exact same bottle and offer it to a parched billionaire stranded miles from anywhere in the middle of a desert and I’m much more likely to seal the deal. Using another example to demonstrate the fluidity of value children provide us with tons of examples, with many of them happy to part with large sums of money to buy the latest in game digital assets - most of which are literally worthless. But they buy them anyway because, on the one hand they have a different view of money than us adults, and on the other the real value that they get from having these assets is attention from their peers. Value and Jobs Thankfully though, when it comes to understanding and rating the value of jobs and skills to the markets and to society we have a fairly good understanding of what makes a job valuable and why, so fortunately we don’t have to get too deep into the weeds of this incredibly animated topic. And, we like simple. DEFINING VALUE . N EEDLESS TO say, jobs and ergo anything associated with them, such as skills, are inherently tied with value, and importantly, as I explain in my Anchoring Constants Model which you can find in my Strategic Foresight for Leaders Codex, value as a concept is one of the few things that remains quite constant and persists through time no matter how our world changes. Therefore, by being able to define value and understand what makes something valuable we can develop a robust jobs methodology that stands the test of time. And, as the world around us continues to change at an increasingly furious rate, having value as our anchoring constant is vitally important. VALUE DEFINITION When it comes to defining value fortunately it’s quite simple, and we can define it as the worth, importance, or usefulness of something. 98311institute.comMATTHEW GRIFFIN 311INSTITUTE.com VALUE IS THE IMPORTANCE , USEFULNESS , OR WORTH OF SOMETHING . THE DEFINITION OF VALUE .Next >