A Little Secret About Our Future

From Tomorrow's Jobs Today By Rafael and Abbey Jane Moscatel ~ Business-books/John Hunt Publishing

May I share a dirty little secret that my spouse and I discovered over the past year? We realize it may be shocking and indecent to some, but it's true— The world as we knew it is indeed over, but for the brave, resilient and willing, a new future is just dawning.

The COVID pandemic, while alarming and tragic, has served as a major catalyst for self-reflection, career change, and personal growth. More people than ever are questioning what truly matters, and a big part of finding those important answers involves the choices they make when it comes to their work. That's the inspiration for our new book, Tomorrow's Jobs Today: Wisdom and Career Advice From Thought Leaders in AI, Big Data, Blockchain, The Internet of Things, Privacy and More, available soon from John Hunt Publishing.

In our latest investigation into how people are navigating this paradigm shift, we explore why today, in the Information Age, the perennial question of What do I want to do? isn't just being raised by the new college graduate. People of all backgrounds, education, ages, and skill levels are taking a whole step back and reassessing their destiny and place in the digital workforce, a choppy and competitive landscape that can feel as unstable as a California fault line or a footbridge girding a Chinese cliff— one you might teeter on while capturing a selfie.

Like most, my wife and I have often felt as if we're peering over the side of a narrow, uneven path that seems to twist and turn like the tornado that kidnapped Dorothy and Toto. It's easy to forget that life isn't black and white and that, more often than not, tomorrow can bring the type of rainbow that colors your dreams. But even for eternal optimists like us, our livelihoods haven't always had that cinematic quality. Certainly not mine.

A few years back, I was strapped into a corporate straightjacket, struggling like Harry Houdini to escape from a padded conference room. From time to time, my employer would let me out of the asylum to attend a conference or two. On one occasion, I was lucky to hear a keynote by a charismatic Indian executive on his use of blockchain technology to assist impoverished farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. What impressed me about him, though, wasn't the sophistication of his solution, or even its noble application, but the intimate journey he shared. It took him from abject poverty to bonafide success. I began to think about my career being more significant than the function or role I played and more about the purpose. I decided to approach him after the talk and ask to interview him. The man, Ashish Gadnis of BanQu, agreed, and a month later, my wife and I published the first interview about walking a mile in the shoes of information age innovators.

Since my background is in English and my wife's in the law, we weren't quite sure how to proceed. Yet we learned in researching his story and technology that learning is a lifelong endeavour in today's digital age, not a fixed point of reference from your formative years. You can view this through a lens of fear and anxiety, or, as Ashish and our other friends taught us, you can see the gaps in front of you as deep wells of opportunity.

As the world turns faster and faster, we are forced to ask ourselves, "How on earth will I keep up with this never-ending transformation?" After all, the clear majority of us aren't exactly on the cusp of engineering the next big thing in liquid AI or taking blockchain to the next level. Yet the reality is, those perceived "inadequacies" hardly matter to your career trajectory in the long run. There is enough opportunity to get started today, and the new vistas opening up tomorrow bring even more promise. In the five emerging fields of AI, Big Data, Blockchain, Quantum Computing, and the Internet of Things, the job market is in its infancy.

With a new generation always clipping at our heels, it's easy to feel left behind or worry that our education and experience isn't quite enough. The business leaders profiled in this book recognize that alarm, but they also share something in common that helps combat it. It's an insatiable curiosity and appreciation for what their peers and colleagues do. In these chapters and industry stories, we reveal the origins of those crafted insights and three strategic themes common to each of these visionary leaders: One - How gaps (weaknesses) can become opportunities; Two - How less is often more; and Three - Why, above all else, our Relationships Matter now as much as our credentials.

Every job seeker's dream is to land both a financially and intellectually rewarding position doing something that they love. Or at least like! Yet these days, even amidst the Information Age's abundant opportunities, folks of all skill levels continue to struggle with the best approach to a happy and successful vocation. Business models are transforming the job market so rapidly that even the most accomplished executives and educated employees suffer from anxiety over the stability of their roles. They must routinely prove their intrinsic value to their superiors and define their personal brand within their organization. For new graduates and those looking to make a big career transition, the reality of a continually shifting corporate landscape can feel almost paralyzing. The emergence of impersonal human resource tools like artificial intelligence in hiring practices has compounded traditional fears underlying the search for our rightful place in the new digital workplace.

The convergence of technology and the rule of law is expected to intensify over the coming years. It's a paradigm shift that will force organizations of all sizes, private and public, across all verticals, to balance a world ripe with innovation with an evolving universe of risk and regulatory pressure. Employers and their workforces will be inclined to adapt to this dynamic new digital landscape in their personal and professional lives. Like every era before it, the individuals who lead the way will separate themselves from the pack by identifying, engaging in, and fostering the right opportunities wherever they find themselves.

Tomorrow's leaders will be brave enough to scale the dangerous peaks of an increasingly competitive and ethically challenging mountain range. They will drive the tough conversations that illuminate the valleys in between.

As we bravely march through the upheaval of the Information Age, our hopes for the workforce outnumber our worries and concerns. We are an intricate species whose faults are well documented but whose many inspired gifts and evergreen qualities are yet to be tapped.

Tomorrow's Jobs Today is available from Business-books/John Hunt Publishing and from wherever books are sold.

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A perceptive, instructive, and inspiring business memoir. - Kirkus Reviews

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