Jobs For Life Are Dying – Learning Needs to Change

Multi-Hyphenate Careers 

What is a multi-hyphen life?

It is a book written by Emma Gannon about the future of careers in the coming age. A key idea in the book is that we are moving into a multi-disciplinary age. This means that in their lifetimes, young people will constantly have to learn new skills and adapt at an increasingly rapid pace. This may sound like hell to some and paradise to others, depending on your attitude to discovery and learning.

The Problem With A Multi-Disciplinary World

In the UK, we have one of the most expensive higher education systems in the world and that doesn’t seem set to change in the near future. Worse still, with an increasing world population, a shift to automation, as well as the outsourcing of skills, the market is tough to say the least. Students can put themselves into considerable debt, and in many subjects receive an outdated education as universities struggle to keep pace with the growth of information.

MOOCS

In response to this, many private institutions such as Google, as well as top-tier universities, have created Massive Open Online Courses. These are sometimes free and normally cheap. They cover the most industry-relevant and up-to-date materials. The problem is that someone who studied a MOOC by Google will normally be second choice when compared to someone who studied at Oxford or Harvard.

The Future

This situation needs to change, however. If young professionals are to be expected to requalify on a regular basis in order to keep pace with the economy, learning must be democratised. As with every revolution, the status quo does not cede power easily, and universities are working hard to justify their high fees with blended learning and adaptable courses. The disruptive effects of tech are everywhere, however, from AirBnB, to Zoom conferences. The general rule of thumb is: if there is a quicker, cheaper and easier way to structure an old practise, it’s just a matter of time.

Your Place In The Future

So it is very likely that if you are nearer to the beginning than the end of your career, you will be required to massively upskill or even learn a new discipline.

In order to keep up, people are going to have to become increasingly gritty. To learn more about grit, check out this article on Angela Duckworth’s groundbreaking research.

My recommendation would be to continuously play with ideas and keep up the side-hustles! These small things are like seeds and can grow over time, presenting you with new options and ideas.