Will automation take away your job?

Have you ever wondered whether automation will take away your job? You’re not alone. In a recent survey conducted by professional services firm PwC, 58% of the respondents indicated their worry that automation will eventually make their role redundant. In fact, Singapore employees are the second most-nervous about the negative impact of automation on their jobs in a separate eleven-country survey.

Your concerns about the power of technology automating jobs away may not be entirely unfounded. An Oxford Economics study shows that robots are set to replace up to 20 million manufacturing jobs globally by 2030. Blue-collar jobs which involve repetitive manual labour are not the only ones vulnerable to automation—even some white-collar jobs may not be spared.

There has recently been a proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and software that are able to perform an astonishing variety of tasks—from customer support to translation. Even sophisticated tasks which require some measure of creativity such as coding can now be performed by Codex, OpenAI’s code-generation engine.

It may seem as if virtually no job in any industry will be left untouched by automation. However, there is no need for you to be overly pessimistic. After displacing some jobs, automation will create new jobs in its place. Since automation is going to drastically transform the future of work, this is the more pertinent question to ask: how do you future-proof your career?

Three tips on how to future-proof your career

First, it is imperative that you cultivate a positive mindset of adaptability and flexibility. Technological progress is so rapid nowadays, making it impossible to predict the future of the world, economy and work. For instance, superapps that we use in our daily lives now such as Grab did not exist (and would have seemed unimaginable) a mere decade ago.

Thus, the days of having a linear career track—and remaining in a singular job for life—are long over. You will be required to constantly reinvent yourself multiple times throughout your entire career. In this age of automation, you need to be highly adaptable and agile. By being responsive to change, you can make informed judgments and pivot when the situation calls for it.

Second, besides shifting your mindset, you have to get acquainted with technology. Acquire digital skills—it pays for you to be technologically savvy. There are so many ways in which you can upskill digitally, be it signing up for a structured SkillsFuture programme or taking online courses at your own pace. Some valuable digital skills to learn include business data analytics and social media marketing. You can also check out relevant YouTube videos, webinars and blog articles to stay up to date with the latest technological trends in your industry.

If AI is going to automate certain aspects of your current job, embrace it and turn that into your peculiar advantage. Learn the ins and outs of the new software. You can therefore leverage automation to improve your workflow, allowing you to concentrate on higher-level decision making and analysis.

Third, remember to network. Even with automation, man will be working alongside machines—it is more important than ever to build a strong professional network. Don’t burn bridges; make an effort to keep in touch with your former managers and colleagues.

Furthermore, attend networking events and conferences within your industry. If you are the reserved type, these interactions may seem daunting to you. However, it’s worth widening your professional and social circle. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with individuals outside of your organisation and find experienced mentors. Eventually when you decide to switch jobs, your professional network you have built over the years can boost your exposure for job referrals.

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