Staying Ahead of the Game: Leapfrogging Trends for Future Success
In the fast-paced, rapidly changing landscape of work that we live in, staying ahead of the game is crucial for personal and professional growth–especially for us as WOCs and POCs.
New technology (hello chatGPT) and a shifting economy (mass layoffs *sob*) make it essential to be proactive and leapfrog trends in order to thrive into the future. Now before this triggers a panic spiral, don’t worry, we wanted to dish on how you can embrace leapfrogging trends as a strategy for success in your career. (Yes, you can!)
The backdrop
According to a recent Forbes article, a whopping 85% of jobs in 2030 will be jobs that don't even exist yet. This prediction underscores the dynamic nature of our professional landscape. AND it really drives home how crucial it is for us, as women of color and people of color, to learn to embrace new trends and skill sets. (Hear me breaking this down in this viral TikTok.) I know it can be tempting to wait until a trend has been tested and proven (that’s my default too!). But taking calculated risks is a MUST if we want to close the gaps in gender, race, pay, and power disparities.
The need to continually skill up: tech
To bridge gaps and strategically position ourselves for success, we must prioritize leapfrogging. What do I mean by this? Instead of playing catch-up after we’ve watched from the sidelines for a few months or years, we’ve gotta start taking more proactive steps to build the skills and competencies we’ll need in the future.
And I mean starting today.
One area to focus on for sure is digital literacy. As tech keeps shaping and reshaping entire industries, making sure we’re able to use and leverage digital tools and platforms is a good place to start. And remember: investing as little as 15 minutes a week into learning new digital skills can quickly add up! For those of us already doing 10 different jobs and juggling multiple areas of responsibility, remember that consistency (hint: build habits, accountability, and support systems) is the name of the game. You’ll pick up these skills faster as you go, too, so start with 15 minutes now and let's see where you are in 6, 12 months’ time!
Augmented working
Another area we can leapfrog our careers forward is by embracing augmented working. Regardless of how we feel about it, AI isn’t going away. It’s already been around for a while, it’s just that recently, GPT-4 brought it fully into the mainstream. As automation and AI continue to redefine traditional job roles, figuring out how to use and adapt to these technologies becomes paramount. Let’s not miss the boat on this one. If you haven’t already, start familiarizing yourself with augmented work, how to use AI efficiently, leveraging different virtual collaboration tools, and you’ll be able to position yourself as a valuable, irreplaceable leader in the future of work.
The power of mindset
Ultimately, leapfrogging trends requires a shift in mindset. It’s about embracing change (after or while we simultaneously process change; don’t get me wrong, we still need to feel our feelings, not bottle them up or ignore them). It’s about being open to continuous learning and adaptation (if I had a penny for every time a WOC or nonbinary POC told me that they’re a lifelong learner, or that they’re in the process of earning another academic degree!).
By challenging the idea that we must wait for others to test out trends first, we empower ourselves to be the trailblazers instead. To take calculated risks and seize new opportunities. To demonstrate (remember: show, don’t tell) the value of our agility and adaptability. To be proactive and stay ahead of the curve.
The bottom line: it’s about personal and professional growth
So listen. In an era where change is constant, leapfrogging trends is essential for personal and professional growth. By recognizing the shifting landscape, embracing new skill sets like digital literacy and augmented working, we can position ourselves for success in the ever-evolving job market. So let's take that leap together, invest in our futures (and that of future generations coming after us), and build a foundation of skills–and a mindset–that will propel us toward a new reality where we’re at the forefront.
For more, check out this 3-post series on TikTok covering the 10 skills we’ll all need in 2030: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.