What Can You Do to Stay Relevant When Technology Threatens Your Job
Aha Moment: Make yourself irreplaceable so that no machine can do what you can do.
The machines are coming for your job.
Sounds more like a sci-fi movie than a situation you’d actually face, right?
The truth is, technology is replacing the need for human workers at an alarming rate.
It’s predicted that by 2030, 40% of the jobs in the United States will be done by robots.
Technology presents wonderful opportunities but also carries the threat that you are no longer needed.
How do you make yourself relevant when the machines come for your job?
1. Be aware
Do you know if your particular job could be done by a robot?
Do some research and find out if there are examples in other countries of machines doing your exact job.
If the answer is yes, then the writing may be on the wall. It’s not a stretch to assume that the technology will eventually reach this country.
Are there ways you can perform your job differently in order to avoid being made obsolete? Come up with a list.
2. Know the skills you DON’T have
What are the skills you don’t have that you need in order to position yourself in such a way that you’re not easily replaceable?
The one crucial skill that machines will never have is empathy.
It may seem minuscule, but the truth is, empathy could have high stakes for the client relationship.
It will become an important skill over time because a machine doesn’t have the ability to make decisions that are based on understanding, insight or a rapport with people.
Find out what jobs allow empathy and automation to co-exist.
3. Increase your tech skill
The important languages to understand in today’s world are those of technology.
For example, you’ll be far more indispensable when you understand coding.
Learn the technologies that are transforming your industry so that you remain relevant, even when machines that can do your job begin to creep in.
4. Complement automation
Know how to make the machines productive.
Your position is much more secure when you have the skills to connect business and technology.
How is this done?
It’s accomplished by identifying areas in which a machine isn’t the best option.
The other side of that coin is understanding ways in which a machine can be more productive.
Remember – technology comes from the human mind.
People are needed to create and direct the machines.
5. Embrace the change
You’ll be more valuable to your company when you have a forward-thinking mindset.
Embrace a new way of doing things instead of fighting it.
Show that you are still capable of making an impact that a machine cannot.
Your employer will see the value in your open mind and willingness to change and adapt to new circumstances.
Don’t get left behind
Innovation will constantly be shifting your work landscape.
Town Crier is no longer a necessary position in today’s world.
There’s no need for milkmen.
Change has always been a part of life and a part of work. There isn’t anything you can do about it.
What you can do is position yourself to be a complement to the technology that will inevitably come into play in your workplace.
Familiarize yourself with coding and the language of automation in order to remain relevant. Don’t allow technology to reduce the need for your existence.
Instead, embrace the changes and make yourself indispensable.
What will you do to prevent your position from being threatened by the growth of technology?