Why students need to be groomed with the right human values for their careers

As we enter a new decade, several changes are happening in the world of careers and technology. We’re witnessing that the two are handholding each other as they progress. With technological forces at play, the job scenario is constantly evolving and at a fast pace.

According to research firm McKinsey, the three most in-demand workplace competencies by the year 2020 will be:

• Social and emotional skills
• Higher cognitive skills
• Technological skills

Two out of these are human skills. What does it show us? It means that even as students today are learning more technical, analytical, and logical information, the future will require them to know how to apply these functions in a human way.

Students need to be prepared for this new wave of workplace requirements that will soon kick-in. Schools and universities, today, have increased their focus on providing technical skills. But going by McKinsey’s report, they will need to be equipped with a lot more than that.

Even the World Economic Forum backs the idea that in the coming decade, careers will require human skills such as creativity, imagination, people management, etc. The entire hierarchical structure of workforce is changing to a more broad-based one. And yet, students will find themselves lacking the required skills.

At Futurwits, we aim to bridge this gap. In order to prepare students for the upcoming career leap, we have several initiatives, one of which is Career 10X – a unique career coaching program. We take into account each person’s individual preferences, attributes, strengths, abilities and purpose in life to guide them towards careers they will love.

Several adults report instances of depression and a lack of satisfaction with their jobs. This is because people end up choosing careers as per trends or parental/societal pressure rather than what they genuinely want to do. With Career 10X, students will be guided on how to analyze themselves to create best career avenues. The aim is to go beyond academic grades to understand students’ natural behavioural tendencies, communication style, etc.

The next generation needs a new form of grooming, one that involves reconnecting with their emotions, understanding teammates, leading from the back and a higher level of functioning.

The future of the workforce that is coming in 2030 is still in schools or colleges. They need to know what to expect at work. Much of the current educational focus lacks a human-level understanding. Students are taught skills and technical knowledge. But, they also need to know how automation is going to change the workplace dynamics. How will they work alongside automation and robots? What kind of people-management skills will they need?

If students are given the right guidance in their youth, they will save a lot of trouble and stress when they actually enter the workforce. Often times, when students go from university to their first job, they realize that they aren’t fully equipped with the know-how to execute tasks. While some companies provide training, most don’t and students have to learn the hard way.

Save yourselves from the trouble. Prepare yourself from now to excel in a career of your choice.