I sat listening to Maxine Mckew say these very words at the recent Career Development Associate of Australia (CDAA) National Conference, just last week. Maxine, a journalist, TV presenter, politician, lecturer and now author gave an articulate and compelling speech about how life in general is becoming “smarter”. Her points also included historical changes in economic productivity since the 1950’s such as the positive impact of water, electricity, automation, internal combustions and urban utilities upon life in general and the growth of many careers. On the flipside, as global technology speeds up, some careers are now in jeopardy of shrinking. Maxine has seen many changes in her lifetime and there are still many more to arrive. Her comments were insightful and intriguing.
People are also living longer and by 2025, an estimated 64% of Gen Y and Gen Z will make up the workforce. The new Generation born in 2010 (Gen Alpha), will only learn and develop skills through electronic devices, referred to as “The Glass Era”. Unfortunately, face-to-face interactions for this Generation will diminish and the art of communication may deteriorate.
This led me to blog about the impact of global technology. With a span of six recorded generations in Australia from those aged between 1 and 71, there has been a phenomenal amount of change and mainly in the past 15 years. For example Google was registered in 1997 – what we would do without Google?
Think of all the aspects of social media, computers, mobile phones, Fitbits, Apps, hybrid car, SIRI, 3D printers and Cloud-based IT storage. In your life and your career, what has been the most significant piece of technological change? How has this improved your life for the better? How can you adapt your career to meet these demands? For me the most important component is to keep communicating via verbal and interpersonal conversations while being creative and flexible with world changes.
Remember to talk, laugh, listen and contribute, as human connection is crucial in order to build a balanced and respectful society.
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