“So, how do I prepare for jobs of the future?” This is a question that is understandably on the minds of many young people. Researchers, educators, and politicians are trying to guess and prepare for what the future may bring. Their focus is on technological innovations in fields such as artificial intelligence, 3D technology, nanotechnology, and innovation biology. And while they are mostly guessing what type of technological skills could possibly be needed, they are certain about the importance of what they like to call Soft Skills.

The problem with soft skills is that the definition is not clearly stated.

Some define soft skills as people skills such as, communication and interpersonal skills. Others believe that they are professional skills such as, leadership or mentorship. And others call them transferable skills highlighting the importance of teamwork and adaptability. You may also find them defined as self-management skills, such as developing a growth mindset or building resilience.
​
Regardless of the label, everyone agrees that soft skills are the skills that you need to succeed in any career, now and in the future. Whether you are a chef, a mechanical engineer, or a family physician, soft skills will help you navigate your day to day challenges. 

In case you are curious, my definition of soft skills incorporates the four stated views.
A chef, for example, will need communication skills to be able to communicate his recipes to others. He will need leadership skills to lead his partners or employees in the kitchen. She will need to adapt to deal with any problems that may arise in her kitchen. And finally, he or she will need to keep revisiting the recipes in order to stay competitive and successful.

Looking into the future, you know you need to prepare yourself for a career that is unstable. A career that will challenge you to move from one position to the next as new skills are required. A career that you have to manage yourself, because no one has experienced it before. Developing and strengthening your soft skills will get you ready.

You may choose to ignore all of the above and go with the flow. I see nothing wrong with this choice, as long as you are content to wait and adapt to the new changes as they come along. Another option would be for you to take charge of your future and create your own pathway. 

​To me, the choice is clear! Be your own agent for personal development by committing to lifelong learning and a lifetime of reflecting on your personal value. You will be glad you did!

There is consensus about the unbelievably powerful influence of having people in your life who cheer you on. Without their support, you may be too scared to accomplish your dreams. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson describes it, “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can”. Emerson was a successful person so you have to assume he knew what he was talking about. But he passed away a long time ago, in 1882 to be exact, and you can say that things have changed.

However, fast forward to today and Denzel Washington’s quote brings in a new perspective changing the value of a cheerleader for success from a want to a necessity. So how do you go about finding your cheerleader?​

So why are cheerleaders, who can also be known as mentors, coaches or accountability partners, so important?

• Cheerleaders bring a new perspective that you may not consider on your own.
• They have been through and can share experiences that you may be considering.
• Cheerleaders brainstorm with you as you select your life or career path.
• They support you if you are struggling to create or reach your goals.
• Cheerleaders help you overcome possible setbacks.
• They celebrate your accomplishments and achievements as their own.

Here are a few ways that you can establish a system of supportive others to build your career path:

• Your parents can be your best mentors.
• Some teachers look forward to supporting students’ ideas – "all you have to do is ask".
• Email professionals whose career may be of interest to you.
• Look up non-profit organizations or local libraries that offer free mentoring.
• Seek out the help of a career counselor or a professional career coach.

​Do you already have a person who is there for you when you need help? If not, can you think of other ways to find your cheerleader? Please share your experience. 

On your way to fulfilling your dreams, having one or more cheerleader makes your journey easier as you realize goals, overcome setbacks and celebrate accomplishments.

Now is the time to start selecting the ideal members for your cheerleaders' club.

​What are you waiting for?

My clients, new acquaintances as well as many of you, my dear readers of my blog, often ask how did I uncover my career path. Here is a snippet of my career journey along with some tips that I hope will help you find your career path.

​I work as a private practitioner. When I decided to embark on a journey as a solo career management professional, I knew that before I put in the extra hours to ensure that my practice takes off, I needed to refine my reasons for starting a business as a solopreneur.

​An excerpt of my reasons to help you write your own includes the following:

• My clients are my bosses. 
• I am on a mission to prove to myself that I CAN launch my own practice. 
• I am empowered by my passion to help others. 
• I want my clients to find purpose like I did. 
• I can envision my future (me helping many clients design their career journey) and all I need to do is to enable it. 
• My sense of accomplishment is unmeasurable every time I see the happiness on my clients’ faces. 
• I can facilitate the launch of my practice guided by my clients’ needs.

​Simply put, you need a detailed action plan that starts with reasons similar to the ones stated above. Wait! Do NOT rush into creating the plan yet. This is the final step in the launch of your career journey. You have to do some exploratory work to discover your reasons. This can be an engaging experience if you come with the right mindset. Think of it as a bout of intense reflection.

​I was not sure what my likes, interests and values were. It can be hard to define them if you have never thought about it. Like me, you can start your intense reflection contrary to what many specialists suggest; the activities you dislike and the skills you are certain you do not want to be using in your future career rather than with your likes and interests. This is very helpful and I suggest you use this unconventional method if you are uncertain about what you need to do to move forward; dissect what you hate to find out what you like.

​Once you get to know YOU, you are ready to move forward to uncover your skills, abilities and strengths.

• What is it that you do best?
  
• What is an ability that your parents or friends tell you, “you are so good at this” or “you are so talented!”?
  
• What are some of your strengths?
  
• Would you describe yourself as creative, determined or resilient?
  

​Note your answers somewhere, on a piece of paper, your computer or your phone.

Next step is to combine everything you have learned about yourself to start exploring possible careers.

You are well acquainted with YOU, now it is time to figure what kind of work makes YOU happy.

One of my joys was seeing others succeed whether in school or later on in life. Call me silly, but I cry at graduations and other similar work celebrations. I think of all the focus, failures and hard work that led to these special moments that I am overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Anyway, I realized that my work has to include seeing my clients succeed.

What invokes similar emotions for you? It could be a sales pitch, a competition or even crying at weddings. No emotional experience is too silly to explore!

​This is what it takes to enable your future career vision.

Once you have collected all this data, you are ready to design your career action plan. Creating the action plan is for another blog post.

​For now, how about you get to know what does YOU really like to do?