How To Advance Your Career When Technology Is Changing Everything - Forbes

According to a World Economic Forum report released in January, 1.4 million US jobs will be disrupted by technology (along with some other factors) between now and 2026. And (yikes!) 57 percent of those jobs being disrupted belong to women. The upside to the "technology is eliminating jobs and industries" headlines? Most at risk workers would find better career opportunities, at higher pay through up-skilling or re-training.

If you're already working for a technology company, an innovative startup or are a student looking to pursue a career in the technology sector of an established industry, all this disruption is just another opportunity. You likely consider yourself of creative and ready to adapt to the jobs market upheaval. But what happens when the role or function or industry being turned on it's head is actually the one you're in? 

I recently attended the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), an annual gathering of women in technology. Actually, it is the largest gathering of women technologists (over 17,000 women attended this year's event in Houston in case you were wondering where all the women in tech were). During GHC, I had the chance to pose the question of keeping your career (linear or otherwise) on track when technology is changing everything - with technologists and industry leaders who are living the day-to-day disruption. Underlying message?  Be a lifelong learner! Sounds obvious (or cliche) but how many of us actually take that advice to heart (in the absence of a career catastrophe such as a job loss)?

Commit to your career by continually trying and learning new things with a little caveat on this advice (before you brush it aside as heard-it-before advice or rush to sign up for yet another online course). The caveat: don't simply invest in skills you can immediately put to use in your current job, also commit to investing in visible skills development (that is, ask in performance reviews for ways to improve, demand critical feedback and seek guidance from mentors (as well as others in your network whose careers you admire), because you want to be known in your company (and in industry as well as social networks) as someone who is invested in up-skilling. A reputation along with being a life-long learner will go a long way to landing you the next opportunity , regardless of technological disruption.

Through my own experience I’ve found that finding and understanding my purpose has allowed me to unleash my passion and hone my professional skills. One of my mentors advised me to read, study, and constantly observe the thought leaders in my area. Once you find your purpose, you will work hard and be recognized for your passion. So my guidance is to hone your skills to ensure you’re being effective and continually able to make an impact. And the other plus side to finding your purpose beyond being impactful? You won’t just be working to keep your career “on track” — you’ll wake up each morning eager to thrive and make a difference.  - Lesley Slaton Brown, Chief Diversity Officer at HP, Inc.

If I were starting my career today with a focus on technology, I would pay more attention to the business side of technology.Technologists have so much ability to impact how their company uses tech to improve customer interactions and operations. We no longer operate in a world where technologists can just churn out code or create a cool app or tool, it’s also important to understand the customer and alongside that, how the business works. - Joanna Parke, Chief Talent Officer at ThoughtWorks

It’s important to be a lifelong learner and to stay open to changing roles. Right now, our clients are seeking more value, higher quality, and a more digital experience, all at a lower cost. The firm is working to digitally up-skill all of our partners and staff. Having these digital skills will help prepare them to meet those expectations, as well as allowing them to grow, thrive and reach their individual potential. An example of this up-skilling commitment is the firm's Digital Accelerator program. Through this program we are educating and up-skilling thousands of staff through training and applied learning. The goal is twofold: to give workers the skills they need to compete, while also giving them new avenues for career advancement. Instead of simply relying on hiring new talent for new opportunities (and hoping they have the skills), we’re training our existing employees. - Rod Adams, US Talent Acquisition Leader at PwC

Be a lifelong learner but more precisely, I'd suggest the following: (1) Know how you best engage with learning new skills (i.e. is your best learning format video, blog, reading hands on learning etc.), then be purposeful and seek learning opportunities in the best format for you; (2) Look outside your company, regularly. Network, go to meet-ups, ask other companies how they are solving the problems or challenges that you are trying to solve; (3) Talk to your customers. Ask them what is working, what isn’t and then engage them in discovering solutions or improvements; and (4) Finally, ask suppliers to be partners in your organizations’ learning journey. There’s motivation for them as well. I continuously let suppliers who wonder why we aren’t using their products more know that, with tech changing all the time, if they make it easy for our teams to understand what they have to offer (and become partners not simply vendors), it is more likely to be used. - Cathy Scerbo, Manager of Technology Services at Liberty Mutual Insurance

It’s essential in a management position to actively and carefully listen to people, learning as much as possible from different personalities and skills. It is the same approach you need to take with the industry you're in. Take a step back and look at how habits or behaviors are being exhibited (or evolving) with clients, customers or users (especially around new technologies). Work with your customers to understand how their needs are changing, where their challenges are and how we can help them achieve their goals - and undertake to do the same with the people you work with.  - Muleine Lim, Senior EPM Manager at Criteo

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