We can be as ready as we can, but we need to understand that the future is volatile. We are living in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world where there are going to be a lot of changes with many things we won’t be sure about,” said Andrew How, managing director of business management and consultancy firm Korn Ferry Hay Group Singapore.
Here are a few of the insights on readying yourself for the future he shared in a one-on-one with NTUC This Week.
TAKE STOCK OF YOUR SKILLS
“Know your skills, look at the skills you need, and think about how relevant the skills you have will be in the future. Now is the best time to stocktake your ‘inventory’ of skillsets.”
Andrew also listed research findings that named learning agility, emotional intelligence and an ability to embrace diversity and change as some of the top soft skills that will be relevant in the future, in addition to hard technical skills.
KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT
“Keep abreast of what’s happening in the environment both locally and globally in your profession, your industry and other relevant industries. Being able to broaden your understanding and the relevance of your profession across different fields and industries will be more holistic.”
EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT MODELS
“As employers cope with disruptions, there can be a lot of uncertainty. A professional with a good depth of expertise could find freelancing a viable mode of employment as the traditional employer-employee mode of employment gets disrupted.
To register for the U Future Leaders Summit themed 'Future-Ready Careers amid Global Transformation', visit www.ntuc.org.sg/ufutureleaders.
