If you think that the workplace is changing fast, you’re right, because it is! Jobs that were considered ‘safe’ years ago have either been reshaped or even replaced entirely by technology.
This isn’t just a temporary thing, too, which is why the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its recent
Future of Jobs Report predicted that more than half (59%) of the global workforce will need some form of reskilling in the next five years if they’re to remain relevant in the workplace.
While we may not be able to predict the future of work with 100% certainty, we can prepare for it as recommended by the WEF. That’s where future-proofing comes in, building habits, skills, and qualifications, so that you’re not caught off guard in today’s fast-changing workplace.
Read on as we talk about some of the key skills and strategies you’ll need in the coming months and years as the workplace continues to evolve.
Keep Your AI Expertise Up To Date
If someone had told you ten or twenty years ago, that a time would come when artificial intelligence would be able to do the bulk of your work, and faster too, you likely wouldn’t believe it. But here we are today.
According to Gallup, the use of AI at work is growing at an exponential rate, with up to 27% of white-collar workers using it in their everyday roles, cutting across technology, professional services, and finance industries.
As we’re all coming to realise, the writing is on the wall. If you don’t have AI expertise, you may lose your position to someone who does. Whether you’re in marketing, customer support, or even leadership, acquiring AI expertise is essential to future-proofing your career.
The good news is that you don’t even need to become an AI engineer or master everything. Just being comfortable with AI-powered tools, especially popular ones like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Notion, and Asana, will make you not only efficient but also more competitive at work.
Develop Soft Skills
Here’s the thing: while technical expertise, such as AI, data analysis, coding, and even accounting, is vital to many roles, you’ll likely need more than this in the coming months and years.
If you want to future-proof your career, don’t just ask “What’s the next technical skill I need?” Also ask, “What soft skill can I learn to communicate clearly, work better with other people, or become a more responsive teammate?”.
If you'd like to learn more about personal development, why not take a look at how we can help?
Take your soft skills to a new level with our online courses.
RRP from $69 – limited time offer just
$29.99
According to the
National Soft Skills Association, a joint research by the Carnegie Foundation, Harvard University, and Stanford Research Center, a huge 85% of job success comes from having soft, transferable skills, while only 15% can be attributed to tech skills. That's a huge - and likely unexpected - difference.
According to the WEF, the top 5 soft skills required by today’s workers are:
- Analytical thinking
- Resilience, flexibility, and agility
- Leadership and social influence
- Creative thinking
- Motivation and self-awareness
These soft skills are universally valued and are what will help you excel in any environment, easily adapt to change, and even take on leadership roles.
Stay Abreast of Industry Trends
Think your degree or job training is enough to carry you throughout your career? Think again. Industries evolve, regulations change, and business models are revisited every few years. What this means is that any training you have could as well be obsolete already.
Future-proofing your career means staying on top of industry trends and not relying on outdated knowledge.
Here’s what you can do:
- Read industry news, journals, and publications
- Follow thought leaders on their social media, especially LinkedIn
- Join webinars and attend conferences as often as possible
- Sign up for alerts and newsletters on information related to your niche
Industries like technology, healthcare, finance, retail, iGaming, and energy evolve fast. Only people who spend the time to find out what’s happening with their industry and where it’s headed will remain not just employable, but sought after.
Build a Professional Network
Ever heard the saying “Your network is your networth”? This saying perfectly sums up what the modern workplace looks like. So if you hadn’t heard it … well, you have now.
Now, it’s no longer just about what you know, but about who you know. It’s about building strong professional relationships that help you land jobs, connect you to career opportunities, and generally keep you in the loop.
Let’s break it down. Many job openings are never publicly announced. They are filled via referrals and recommendations. In some cases, you’ll see professionals on LinkedIn telling their network about the opening, so that someone from their trusted circle can fill the role.
You may not like it, but the truth of the matter is that the more people in your niche you know, and the more they know you as skilled and dependable, the safer your career becomes.
Adopt Continuous Learning
If there’s one strategy that almost always guarantees a future-proofed career, it’s this:
never stop learning. As we’ve already noted, technologies evolve, industries transform, regulations change, and the demand for new skills never slows down.
When you commit to continuous learning, you’re not only keeping your hand on the pulse of your industry, you’re also gaining the tools that’ll help you spot and seize opportunities when they appear.
Embracing continuous learning, for some people, especially those in education leadership roles, could mean structured learning, such as an
EdD degree online, which can be a powerful way to sharpen leadership skills while remaining career-ready.
According to Marymount University, degrees like this will help you create a lasting impact wherever you find yourself. But not everyone needs, or wants, the official learning route. And that’s perfectly fine. For others, it’s about the small learning habits, whether YouTube tutorials, micro-learning apps, or podcasts, that they’ve adopted into their daily routine.
Develop Cross-Functional Expertise
While it's okay to specialize in a particular niche and stick to it, employees who can bridge the divide between disciplines will become indispensable in the future. What’s the message here? Try to expand your knowledge outside your main role.
If you’re an accountant, for example, learning the basics of data analytics could make you more valuable to potential employers. If you write for a newspaper, some knowledge of search engine optimization or basic design will open more doors or lead you to bigger projects.
Developing cross-functional expertise is not just about making you versatile. It’s about giving you the flexibility to explore other options when one role becomes obsolete.
Final Thoughts
Future-proofing your career isn’t one of those things you do because you read some article on the internet. It’s the key to survival in a workforce system that’s ever-changing.
If you can do all, or even just a few, of the strategies covered in this article, you’ll not just survive, you’ll thrive. And you’ll also be ready to grab and take advantage of opportunities as they show up.
