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Caution – your job may disappear

Attention! Your job may be at risk. Learn how to plan for it. 

Gone are the days when job security was guaranteed. Robots, outsourcing, and economic trends are the culprits. With the emergence of the gig economy, also known as the sharing or on-demand economy, things have become even more risky.

Although not a new concept, the gig economy has transformed with technological advancements, allowing people to work across borders and boundaries. It's no longer necessary to hire a full-time accountant with all the associated costs and regulations when someone from another part of the world can do the job more efficiently and affordably.

Did you know that?

  • Are you aware of the impact of automation on the job market? Recent advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are driving us towards a new age of automation. Robots and computers are becoming more efficient than humans in performing a range of routine physical and cognitive tasks, including decision-making and even driving. Here are some statistics on the jobs lost to automation:.
  • 2.25 million industrial robots are currently in use worldwide
  • 1.7 million manufacturing jobs have already been lost due to automation.
  • Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs could be lost to robots by 2030.
  • 25% of jobs in the US are at a high risk of automation.
  • 1.6 manufacturing jobs are lost for every new robot.
  • However, automation is also predicted to create 133 million jobs by 2022.

Going beyond traditional borders.

In the modern business world, expanding beyond your local market is crucial to growth. This presents a great opportunity for non-native English speakers to work across borders and scale their companies globally. As a business owner, hiring freelancers offers two major benefits:

For business owners, the advantage of hiring freelancers is two-fold:

  • Firstly, freelancers provide the flexibility to hire talent on a project-by-project basis, avoiding the commitment of full-time hiring
  • Secondly, freelancers can be hired at the fraction of the cost of a dedicated employee.

The rise of the "gig economy" has created a new network economy with unique opportunities and challenges. Many businesses are emerging to compete for product and service delivery. This labor market is characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work, rather than permanent jobs. In this new economy, organizations contract with independent workers for temporary jobs and assignments.

The activities most susceptible to automation

The activities most susceptible to automation are physical ones in highly structured and predictable environments, as well as data collection and processing. And it’s not just low-skill, low-wage work that could be automated. Middle-skill and high-paying, high-skill occupations, too, have a degree of automation potential. As processes are transformed by the automation of individual activities, people will perform activities that complement the work that machines do.

An analysis by McKinsey shows that humans will still be needed in the workforce: the total productivity gains they estimate will only come about if people work alongside machines.

Hardest activities to automate

The hardest activities to automate with the technologies available today are those that involve managing and developing people (9% automation potential), where expertise is applied to decision-making, planning, or creative work (18%), or interacting with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders (20%).

Coming up with new ideas is likely to stay exclusively within the competence of humans for some time to come, so artists and academics are likely to be safe for a while.

Project management skills are essential

In the world of automation, project management skills are essential, according to John Berra, a retired chairman of Emerson Process Management. Whether you're a supplier, engineering contractor, or owner, projects are how things get done. Excellent project management skills are critical to the success of automation products or software, upgrading existing facilities, or constructing new ones.

Project managers possess leadership and planning skills that machines are unlikely to duplicate anytime soon. In the future, the "PM of the future" may also have machines at their disposal, but they'll still need to ensure that complementary tasks are being performed and that inter-dependencies are kept on track.

How to survive?

If you don’t want to become an antique feature you will have to find a way to survive the uprising of automation. Here are some ideas:

  • Consider starting your own business as an entrepreneur, whether it's an online venture or a residential business. There are many resources available on the internet to help you get started..
  • History has proven new technologies to create new jobs and not only destroying them. Somebody must build code and maintain the robots. Most probably, this will create new, high-skilled jobs for technicians, programmers and other newly essential roles.
  • Look for freelance jobs on internet platforms that connect freelancers with employers or clients. You can do freelance work in addition to your current job.
  • Don’t give up by thinking you are not good enough. Persist and engage in continuous learning by updating your skills and competencies regularly. Set yourself learning goals and use a coach when necessary.
  • Stay informed of changes and opportunities in your areas of interest. Adapting to new opportunities can be exciting and rewarding, and can lead to a satisfying new life..

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