Once upon a time, most of my computer time was spent working for my employer. When I finished work, I didn’t have to sit in front of the computer anymore. And so I didn’t.
Times have changed. Now I spend much more unpaid time on the computer, learning new things that I couldn’t have learned in any of the education or training programs I’ve been enrolled in during my life for the simple reason that my teachers could not anticipate exactly what technological changes would take place over the next five to 10 years.
Today’s teens spend more than 7.5 hours each day consuming media, according to a 2010 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Much of that time is spent social networking, surfing the Web, listening to music, and playing video games. But is it wasted time? Not necessarily. These young people are gaining valuable skills that can help them when it comes to finding employment in a rapidly changing, information-age landscape.
The ability to integrate new technologies into our lives and develop new capacities is not limited to youth. Those who are the best “lifelong learners” invest more in both schooling and training, as well as in independent knowledge and skills acquisition - such as the knowledge and skills that you can acquire simply by spending more quality time on your computer.
Changes in technology have had a huge impact on the labour market. We live in an era of ’skill-biased’ technological change, which refers to the fact that technological change has increased the demand for highly skilled work, relative to that for less skilled work. Certainly, there is less stability and predictability for the employee. People can expect to have many jobs in multiple fields during their careers.
It is a good idea to assess the impact of specific technological changes on your particular sector by doing Google searches for recent reports and blogs, and by talking to industry-savvy individuals. However, employers tend to value some general competencies that in this time of rapid change. Three out of four executives believe the “Four Cs” - the ability to: think critically, creatively solve problems, collaborate well, and communicate effectively - will become more important to their organizations in the next three to five years, according to a 2010 Critical Skills Survey by the American Management Association.
Above all, job seekers need to prepare for constant change. Those most likely to succeed are those who nurture an ability to reinvent themselves for new situations.
Visitor Comments
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darren - 2013-11-13
It is harder because in the ole days it was easier to learn and get the training for a job because it was mental and physical.Now computers run the show and unless you have gone to school and got a degree for computers in programming and stuff like that you are very limited in your job prospects.