What will future careers look like?

While attending a conference in Toronto last week, I had the opportunity to hear The New York Times columnist Tom Friedman discuss the future of education.  As part of his speech, he also discussed what the world of work might look like five or ten years from now, and he got me thinking: when we send girls out to shadow a lawyer, an engineer, or a insurance agent, will the job they see be the same job by the time they graduate from college?  I think the answer is no, but some things may always be the same.

A recent Northeastern University study reported that six of ten business leaders survey said that soft skills like written and oral communication and problem-solving skills are still the most important for college graduates to have. The report also said that 84% of business leaders believed the ability to think creatively was just as important as the ability to think critically.  So Mr. Friedman's comment makes sense: when companies are downsizing, the people who will be kept are the ones who can do old things in better ways or new things in better ways. 

Fundamentals are also always going to be important, and whether or not you pursue a degree in engineering or English, if you have a solid foundation, you can move on to just about anything. (And by the way, there is evidence that you can earn a living with a liberal arts degree.)  To quote from a recent blog by Michael Lindsay, President of Gordon College, "...a student's chosen major will not, in most cases, determine the financial viability of his or her long-term career. Students from any major can use their time at college to explore practical ways to turn their academic passion into a good investment."  Being able to turn your interests into a career is what Tom Friedman meant when he said, in the future "you won't be able to find a job; you will have to invent a job."

The jobs of the future may look nothing like the ones of today, but no matter what career a student pursues, she will need the following: strong fundamentals, the ability to think both critically and creatively, the ability to collaborate with others, and a solid background in technology.  In other words, all of the skills a GPS graduate will have.