Essential Skills for Thriving in the Dynamic Job Market

By Hannah Baker

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Dear Reader,

Have you ever found yourself at a career crossroads, wondering which path to take and how to prepare for the ever-changing job landscape?

Did you ever wish a crystal ball could tell you which direction to go for career advancement?

There isn't a crystal ball, but the World Economic Forum does a comprehensive research project every couple of years that sheds light on the evolving job market, the Future of Jobs Report.

Earlier this year, they released their 2023 INSIGHT REPORT. It's like a roadmap, helping us spot trends, understand required skills, and prepare for the future.

The Big Picture

The report reveals key insights that hold immense value for us as designers:

1. Top Core Skills: The report showcases the importance of core skills. Analytical and creative thinking is at the forefront, followed by resilience, flexibility, agility, motivation, self-awareness, curiosity, and lifelong learning. It's a clear sign that cognitive skills and adaptability are non-negotiable.
2. Navigating Disruption: Employers anticipate that the skills of 44% of workers will face disruption over the next five years. The job market is undergoing significant changes due to technology. Automation, AI, and robotics are reshaping the landscape, influencing the nature of work and the required skills. While some tasks may become automated, this shift also opens doors for job evolution and the emergence of new roles.
3. Embracing Big Data: In this evolving landscape, the report highlights the growing importance of big data skills, indicating that it's becoming a strategic skill set. Understanding and harnessing big data can significantly impact various fields. It allows for data-driven decision-making, personalized experiences, and deeper insights into user behavior.

Now, take a breath. It doesn't mean everyone needs to be an AI expert. Yes, we need to understand how to integrate AI into our processes.

But it also means we should align our skills with what AI can't replicate, at least for now.

The report continuously suggests that creative thinking is gaining significance relative to analytical thinking. This shift is particularly crucial in automated workplaces, where creativity becomes a valuable asset.

Analytical thinking involves a structured and logical approach, focusing on data and objective problem-solving, while creative thinking is characterized by imagination, innovation, and the generation of original, subjective ideas.

What This Means for Designers

So, where do product designers fit into this evolving landscape, and how can they leverage these insights?

• Human-Centric Skills: AI can handle technical tasks but can't replicate human creativity and empathy. As product designers, we should focus on honing our human-centric skills. Understanding user needs, emotions, and behaviors is essential for designing products that resonate with users on a personal level.
• Creative Thinking: With the growing importance of creative thinking, encourage your team to think outside the box. Embrace brainstorming sessions, idea-generation workshops, and collaborative approaches. These creative skills are your competitive edge in an automated world.
• Data-Driven Design: incorporating data analysis into your design process can lead to more informed and user-centric product development, making you a valuable asset in the job market. Understanding how to harness the power of big data for user insights and data-driven design decisions will set you apart in product design and innovation.
• Facilitation Skills: AI can provide data, but translating this data into actionable design decisions often requires effective communication and collaboration. Facilitation skills are the linchpin, enhancing your ability to collaborate, foster creativity, and manage the human aspects of the design process.

The Future of Jobs Report offers us a valuable roadmap for our career journey.

As professionals, we must navigate the evolving job landscape by embracing human-centric skills, fostering creative thinking, and mastering the art of data-driven design and facilitation.

These insights help us stay ahead in our respective fields and lead the way in an ever-changing world, ultimately ensuring our continued success in the dynamic job market.

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Recording and Slides from last night's meetup: Research Democratization Myth Busting

Last night, we had a wonderful meetup with Kathleen Asjes about when it is the right time to implement research democratization at your company, if ever.

If you missed that talk, You can find the recording here or check out her slide​s!

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Until next week!