What type of skills are needed in a more digital world?

Back in 2005 I decided to pursue a new career. Only thing was that I had to learn new skills and complete a new education. Was that possible? – how could I start all over? – and would it be worth the effort? Let me be honest – yes, it was possible, and it was worth the effort! Did family and friends understand why I did it? – in hindsight, yes – but at the time, no, not really. Only my children understood. They were attending school themselves, so no big deal.

Fast forward to 2022 – with a more digital world many people is realizing the need for new skills – perhaps even a brand-new direction leading to a new career. So, what kind of skills are needed to meet the future requirements?

Critical Thinking, Creativity, Curiosity and Continual Learning are just three out of 20 skills that Futurist and Thought Leader Bernard Marr (2022) argue that we all need to succeed in a digital world! This resonates well with various reports stating that up to 85 percent of jobs available in 2030 have not been invented yet. Wauu – 85%. That’s quite a large amount of new job types – that all will require new skills for us to master!

What is the best way to get started? Read books about new topics. Read articles. Be curious. The topic is not the important part – the learning part is. Make it a habit to learn something new every week. Make sure you exercise your learning muscle, so you are ready when new skills are needed for you to master your job – doesn’t matter if it’s your current job or a new one. Keep the learning muscle ready so you are able to meet new requirements. Be creative and speak with different people – and apply new learnings. Creativity is not only finding new ideas – but also to apply those ideas. Finally, use Critical Thinking. Meaning: assess new information objectively, look out for any gaps, ask questions, and form you own opinion before deciding.