Technology is an ever evolving phenomenon. The technology that was innovative yesterday will become outdated tomorrow. The same phenomenon stands true when it comes to an employee’s skill set. There was an age when stenographers were in vogue. With the advent of the computer, the computer operators were in demand. Today the same role is played by the data entry operators. The interesting thing here is that an employee, who knew how to type, upgraded himself/herself as per the changing industry needs and upgraded himself/herself with the knowledge of computers. Today the very same people are upgrading themselves with the different softwares that are available for data operation and processing.
Long story short, it is absolutely essential that the employees educate themselves by looking for opportunities at their company and elsewhere to learn new and diverse skills. An increase in the number of skill sets always demands for a higher pay package. It is also a responsibility of the employers to make sure that their employees are constantly updated about the changing scenario of the industry. This way during tough economic times, certain employees can be asked to take on the extra responsibility of a furloughed employee. It’s a win-win situation for both.
With the rate at which automation is becoming popular, there seems to be an inevitable scenario where professionals would need to be upgraded with the latest upgrades in the technology they are currently working on. A few of these sectors have been listed below.
A Product Manager at an FMCG would now be required to deliver the product along with reaching out to the consumer. Since all this would now be done over the ecommerce space, social media analysis and SEO analysis would be a welcome skillset. With the upgrade, the product managers would also be responsible for point of sale, branding and dealer distributor work.
Another professional skill that would see a major overhaul would be the role of a Data Analyst in the FMCG sector. They are required to be well updated with the latest customer segmentation, querying and reporting tools, metrics reporting, Google analytics, Tableau, Sprout social, Sysomos and A/B testing. There seems to be a huge demand-supply gap for this role.
With the advancement in technology and the intrusion of digitization in almost all the sectors of banking a Chief Digital Officer is not just looking after payments and transactions, but also acquisitions, engagement and customer service, which has now transferred to the digital medium. There are organizations where a Chief Digital Officer is not just converting the traditional analog business to digital ones, but they also play the role of a chief customer, digital and marketing officer. Sometimes they also take the role of a Chief Information Officer or a Chief Innovation Officer.
Project managers have to make sure that the project they are working on is not just on schedule but also running profitable. When it comes to the infrastructure sector the stakes are even higher. Starting with new project management tools would be a good start. Earning more credibility from the stakeholders and from the team members would go a long way in the networking circle. Improving on one’s communication skill would be an added benefit for any future appraisals.
If the world is truly going autonomous then it is absolutely imperative that the user experience be built pretty smooth. The ‘user interference’ term, today, does not just stay to the apps and webs. They go beyond in the functioning of compact diagnosis tools to high end industry monitors. The current lot of User Experience Designers has to go beyond their knowledge of machine learning, affective science, environmental and material design and be inept with the latest developments in the user hardware technology (touchscreen, motion sensors, cameras, biometric scanners, etc.)
The greatest challenge to the Quality testing sector is automation with new advancements in technology that is harboring more complex systems in automated testing. Apart from accommodating oneself with new software testing tools, improving one’s communication skill (verbal and written) would be an added advantage.
With the advancements in the latest software optimization tools, Digital architects are another set of professionals who might face the scorn due to automation. Apart from the usual skillset of Java: Servlets, JSF, Spring, JUnit, Hibernate, Log4j or other logging framework, a ‘Know How’ of the latest extensions in the understanding of Design Patterns, XP.NET, Java/J2EE would be sought after.
The above few instances are the ones that are well in the perceptions of the ever changing industry. Whenever a scenario of a furlough does arises then it is advisable to work on personal branding by updating one’s resume and networking. Attending a career-related seminar or training would give a serious skills boost. One can gather information on industries that interest them, organize informational interviews and even volunteer at companies in different fields to gain exposure to other areas.
