How can you future-proof your career?

Did you know that the average American will spend over 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime – and 87% of Americans have no passion for the job they do? The statistics are very clear: We’re working our lives away, and the majority of us don’t even like what we do.

Our careers are one of the most common areas of our lives in which we have goals and aspirations. We want to live a life of fulfillment, and we spend eight hours a day or more at our jobs – making it an essential piece of living with meaning. Maybe you want to ask for a promotion, make a certain amount of money or even change your career path entirely and make the leap into doing something that’s more fulfilling to you. Maybe you want to become an entrepreneur or accelerate growth in a business you’ve already started.

No matter where you are in your career – if you’re established, or just getting started – and what goals you’ve set for yourself this year – there is one thing that remains true. Technology is changing the way that we work … and it’s changing fast. To future-proof your career, you must embrace the new way of working before you are left behind.

The technology debate

There’s no doubt that technology has made our lives a lot easier in the workplace. For those of you that remember fax machines and dial up internet, you can probably appreciate this. But as the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, many fear that technology will displace jobs and workers who can’t compete with machines. On the other hand, others argue innovation will actually create jobs, opportunities and entire industries.

Regardless of what side of the coin you’re on – whether you think AI and automation will create or destroy – it’s certainly going to change the fundamental nature of our economy. The things that we’re going to do for work, how we build our careers and how we even define what a career or job is will shift dramatically. We need to be prepared, and make sure that we’re providing as much value in the marketplace as we can, to stay competitive. So how can you future-proof your career?

Finding fulfillment in an uncertain world

In this episode, we’re exploring the future of work – what it means and how you can create a career that you love – in the wake of technological disruption. You’ll hear from Tony on how to stay competitive in an ever-changing marketplace, and also from Elatia Abate, an expert on the future of work, who helps people find fulfillment in their careers while future-proofing their jobs.

Elatia spent her career in global recruiting, placing top executive talent for Anheuser-Busch, Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. She saw a lot of people who were not only exhausted, but had no passion for what they were doing. She also saw the massive impact of technology on these industries. She met with people who masterfully accommodated change – and some who didn’t. She turned this experience into a system of models and tools for businesses to adapt to the future of work and for people to future-proof their careers.

How to future-proof your career

The nature of work is changing. It’s shifting away from jobs that require skills to jobs that require values. It’s shifting away from job searching to entrepreneurship. It’s shifting away from the “business card shuffle” of networking to creating true connection and community with people who can help us gain leverage. And it’s shifting away from “climbing the ladder” – a singular focus on an end goal – to a “mosaic model”: piecing together various things that we value to replace a traditional career. To future-proof your career, you need to create your mosaic.

Listen to the podcast for more on how to create a career that will allow you to thrive in the face of disruption:

• The difference between “push” and “pull” to achieve your goals
• Why you need to fall in love with your client, not your product
• How to determine your X factor
• More on the three components of a fulfilling career: mindset, education and collaboration

The future is already happening. When you know what to look for, you can see disruption coming, and you can take advantage of it. As Elatia says in the podcast, “Disruption is just opportunity that looks different than it used to.” Embrace it today using these strategies.