It’s not just businesses that need a robust cyber resilience strategy in the 21st century. Phishing scams, data breaches, and cyber security threats are only ramping up. Meanwhile, AI, robotics, and automation are gradually making all sorts of jobs obsolete.
As individuals, we must step up to the challenge and take responsibility for the digital side of our lives. The following five skills will serve you well in this endeavor:
1. Effective learning strategies
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No matter what industry you work in, it’s likely that technology and AI will rapidly transform it over the coming years. The best way to keep pace with these changes, maximize your earning potential, and squeeze the most enjoyment out of your career is to be a strategic and highly effective learner. This will ensure you’re always the person excited about change, not the one complaining and resisting it.
2. The ability to focus
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As social media and an endless array of apps, smartphone games, and streaming platforms scream for our engagement, human attention spans are shrinking. This means that even as of 2023, the ability to engage in deep focus is a valuable commodity.
Thankfully, it’s relatively straightforward to hone this skill. Take a disciplined approach to your use of entertainment platforms. If you love online gaming or disappearing down TikTok rabbit holes, you don’t have to give these pastimes up entirely. However, you should set limits on when, where, and for how long you engage with them.
3. Digital literacy
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You don’t have to learn how to code (though it wouldn’t hurt if you have the patience and perseverance for it). However, it’s crucial to gain literacy with as many digital tools and platforms as you can. For example, you should be able to use everything from Google Spaces and Slack to Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint with ease. The more communications platforms, project management platforms, digital tools, and other programs you can master, the better equipped you’ll be to thrive in the digital age.
4. Money management and financial planning
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From the rise of the gig economy to the slump of the post-pandemic economic downturn, the 2020s have already been rocked by financial uncertainty. With AI and technology set to disrupt many sectors over the coming years, money management and financial planning skills have never been more important.
Unexpected redundancy or the sudden loss of your highest-paying client will be far less problematic if you have a healthy emergency fund, a solid investment portfolio, and plenty of money in your retirement account. If, by contrast, you have a mountain of credit card debt, student debt, and personal loans, you’ll be in for a world of trouble.
5. Highly developed communication skills
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While many jobs can (and probably will) be taken over by AI and automation, there are a few key areas in which humans will always excel. Communication is one of the most profound.
Researchers have developed empathy bots, and in some cases – notably in nursing homes among patients who rarely get visitors – these bots are very well accepted. However, nothing beats genuine human care from someone with a high degree of empathy and well-developed communication skills.
In addition to opening up potential new career paths should your job become obsolete, communication skills will serve you well in every aspect of your life. So, this is an area of development that’s certainly worth the investment of time and energy.
If you haven’t yet mastered all five of these skills, now is the time to act. The digital age is characterized by rapid development, but these areas of expertise will help you stay one step ahead.
