How technology is changing the face of job market (and what can you do to prepare for it)

by Natalia Alejarra

The future is technology. We can see around us, everything is slowly becoming automated. From self-checkout machines to driverless cars, the machines are taking over the job market. Opinions are divided over the ability of machines in evolving enough to completely substitute humans. However, experts seem to agree that this technology wave is taking us to a job market that will require the most sophisticated side of human intellect.

At every tech wave, the debate over human work force vs. machine arises. Time, however, has dismissed worries, leading to markets with new opportunities created by technological innovations. Once again, the fear of technology making humans obsolete is making headlines. This time, however, technology seems to be going further than ever before. Specialists believe machines will be able to over perform humans in roles previously considered unlikely to be taken over by robots, but are unsure if the new wave will also create enough opportunities to compensate for the job loss. 

According to an article in the Economist, 47% of jobs in America could potentially get automated in the next two decades, adding that capitalism itself could be at stake - the irony of a system that advances so fast that can’t keep up with the changes it has created.

As AI replacing man work force will no longer resume to manual labour, the so called knowledge jobs are now under threat. That means that work that is mostly mental is no longer secured. Machines are set to control decision-making roles in a not too far ahead future, leaving people with high qualifications facing fierce competition for the remaining jobs.

However, specialists say that if you can develop skills that computers lack, you may become irreplaceable.

If the first thing that comes to mind is Si-Fi films with robots wishing they could only have a heart, you are not too far off. Experts’ advice is to find what in your job requires the kind of human skill that is impossible to code.

Machines will be present in every field of work, but it will initially come to do the day-to-day administrative job. Tasks easily executed by algorithms will be completely taken over by technology, leaving the less enjoyable bit of everyman’s routine automated. The result would be humans being left to do what they do best: use their brain. Workers will have the opportunity to explore their roles deeper, not wasting their energy with things computers can already do for them.

An article from Harvard Business review 2017 suggests that there are some strategic skills to develop in order to assure your employability, depending on your interests and abilities. Getting into the technology industry is an obvious one, to both run it and to come up with innovations. Investing in higher intellectual skills is another idea, since the human capacity for abstract thinking is still beyond computers reach. Finally, developing interpersonal expertise should keep robots away from your field of work. That includes any roles that require some sort of human connection.   

All this transformation in the job market may lead to an actually much more enjoyable and stimulating kind of work. Some even add that it would allow us to have more quality of life, being able to work remote more often and to spend more time with our family or at the paradisiac beach you always dreamed of.

So the best advice is to prepare for the changes to come. Planning ahead and creating a strategy over the likely changes in your industry are possibly very wise use of your time. Fortunately, humans are very resourceful and should be able to once again overcome the fierce competition that technology has brought together with so much progress. 



Four Happy Tech Stories: How It Is Possible To Become Your Own Boss



Have you got to the conclusion your job just isn't for you? If you consider a fresh start in technology, see how the tech gurus found their way.

by Natalia Alejarra

One in four people in the UK were considering leaving their jobs in 2016, according to an article by the Independent. If you are part of the discontent bunch, you may have wondered how would it be to become your own boss. If you have innovative ideas for a tech business then, good news! The technology industry’s growth is set to a prosperous decade. It is predicted that the demand for technology will triple over the next ten years, according to technology researcher and Times contributor Tim Bajarin. With such optimistic prospects and a market that is always open for good ideas, many allow themselves to dream of working those long hours for the good of their own pockets. Is it really possible to make ends meet venturing in the tech industry? If encouragement is what you need, here are the stories of some of the most successful tech business entrepreneurs and how they took their first step towards greatness.

Steve Wozniak

If you never heard of this Steve, you are not to blame. The apple of Hollywood’s eye, Steve Jobs have a handful of featured films named after him. Wozniak, though less well known, was equally brilliant, being the one to invent the first Apple computer in 1976. His interest in electronics started while still at school. He studied engineering at Berkley and taught himself how to design computers (seriously!), spending hours in his room figuring out his own way through electronics. He met Jobs through mutual friends and, after creating Apple 1, they sold Wozniak’s scientific calculator and Job’s van to raise money to start their company at Job’s garage. The engineer left his job designing calculators and dedicated himself completely to develop new technologies. Lesson: true dedication and focus pay off.

Jeff Bezos

How many people would leave a high-paid job and an ascending career to risk opening their own company? I couldn’t show any numbers, but common sense suggests me that not many. It takes courage to abandon the relative certainty of being someone else’s employee to work for yourself, especially when your business idea is novel. Founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos was brilliant at school, got a Princeton diploma in computer science and electrical engineering and landed in a job in Wall Street. To many, that is a dream come true. Bezos, however, after making vice-president at D.E. Shaw, left his high-paid job to start an online business. Bezos realized the opportunity of an unexploited internet market and started Amazon in July 1994. The success was rapid. Forward 23 years and Bezos is the third richest person in the world, according to Forbes. Lesson: there is no set path to success.

Bill Gates

Could you ever imagine what would be like to turn a passion of yours into a huge source of income, making you the richest man in the world for 18 years in a row? Hard life, we could all agree. If Bill Gates came to mind, you guessed right. Gates was a smart and competitive kid. He met Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at school and remained in touch, getting together to develop a software for a microcomputer company in New Mexico. They delivered the software successfully, leading the company to hire Allen. Gates left Harvard to work with him. They started Microsoft 1975 but had issues with piracy and free distribution of their software. After legal battles to keep hold of their software rights, they continued to develop new software for different companies and got established in the market. Microsoft is nowadays considered one of the most valuable brands in the world. Lesson: the way to success is not always smooth.

Larry Page

If you grow up in a house cluttered with science magazines and old computers, it may lead you to being a very successful tech entrepreneur. Probably not everyone, but it was the case for Larry Page, Google’s co-founder. Both his parents were computer scientists, influencing his interests and leading him to pursue a career in the tech field. During his PhD at Stanford University, he met Sergey Brin, the other founder of Google and, together, they developed the search engine that would turn their life around. Google was founded in 1998, quickly becoming one of the main search engines for its innovative technology. Lesson: you can never tell if your idea is not going to take over the world.

Truth be told, these stories are not the kind you hear every day. It takes really dedicated people to land in such a prestigious place. However, it is refreshing to remember that there is nothing that can hold back someone when their mind is set for success. If it happen to them, why couldn’t it happen to you?


The Success of our Strictly Networking Event

The Success of our Strictly Networking Event

As you may know, Dream I.T. LDN recently held a Strictly Networking Event, in partnership with Maureen Egbe, for professionals to get together and connect. We are happy to report that the event was a great success and we have received some excellent feedback for future events.

Unlike usual networking events where people mingle and listen to talks, we decided to take a different approach by focusing more on the mingling and the concept of 'show and tell'. This means attendees were able to give a greater insight into their businesses and share advice with one another. This included giving one minute elevator pitches about their businesses and having demonstrations of their craft.

We would like to thank Maureen Egbe for her help in organising this event and the Happy staff for providing us their office for use. Maureen Egbe is an excellent confidence coach who had also helped some of our attendees to realise their business goals. She has a proven record and her website can be found here.

Keep an eye out for future events we organise with Maureen by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.