The linear career model - graduate from university, land a job, climb the ladder, retire – is gradually fading. The pandemic and its impact has massively accelerated the re-shaping of future jobs and careers. And, among all the uncertainty, the question remains: how do careers look like in this brave new world? How can we best equip and position our future generations, our employees, and startups not just to survive but thrive?
Even though industrial jobs are here to stay, they are increasingly giving way to entrepreneurs, startups, project-based jobs, or, as we know it, the gig economy. In the future, we will see a further rise of celebrated professionals; let them be entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs within companies, who are solving society’s problems with the help of technology. The success formula of people will lies in their skillset and mindset. They will continuously cultivate unlearning and re-learning at will leave their competition standing. Successful future professionals will demonstrate an unprecedented adaptability and continuously develop a transferable skillset that can be deployed across industries and continents globally online and in person.
Developing this skillset while transforming high school students to career-ready professionals in this ever-changing world has become the mandate of higher education institutions, like Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Dubai. In the future, all professions would require this forward thinking mindset, coupled with the relevant technical expertise. Career professionals expect to see an increased demand for graduates with skillet in artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and blockchain. What they all have in common as for students to excel in problem solving.
Even if we do our best to prepare and groom these career ready professionals, they need a welcoming, innovative ecosystem to give them the space to spread their wings and thrive. At RIT Dubai we appreciate the partnership and collaboration with DSO. This ecosystem allows digitally native students and young talents to connect with industry, startups and entrepreneurs for mutual advancement and benefit. The result of such collaborations are internships, graduate placements, and student projects that help students reap rewards through future oriented strategies.
Future proofing professional skillet is only one part of the success formula. Smart work and hustle are just as indispensable. Yet, we have seen it over and over again, that smartness and grit alone does not succeed. What completes the circle is the network that incubates and accelerates ideas and execution. An ecosystem, like DSO is enabling the transformation we all need in this community and beyond.
The author is manager, care services cooperative education at RIT
