4 Ways To Take Advantage of the Tech Takeover

Businesses are changing in a huge way. Whether it’s medical breakthroughs or communication tools, technology is changing working life forever.

Unfortunately, technology has also led to many popular jobs facing extinction, with accountants and real estate brokers among those highest at risk of being replaced by robots.

It’s believed that over a third of current job roles will no longer exist in the U.S. in 15 years’ time. This is higher than other first-world countries, including the U.K. and Germany.

But instead of worrying about the possibility of losing the career or business you’ve spent your working life building, embrace the change and get ahead of the game. Here’s how:

Get Certified

While the majority of the modern day workforce are competent with the basic tech tools on offer, bagging yourself a specialist certification can not only enhance your chances of a future role, but it can also increase your prospected wage.

The United States’ Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin told the LA Times that automation will enhance the roles available to the workforce, making them more productive. “It’s [artificial intelligence] taken jobs that are low-paying,” he said. “We need to make sure we are investing in education and training for the American worker.”

With more and more businesses moving onto the cloud, a certification in NetSuite can propel your career prospects. A recent tech salary survey found that four in five respondents believe their workload is going to continue increasing in the next 12 months thanks to NetSuite. However, only 21% revealed they had a foundation NetSuite certification.

In the US, a junior NetSuite administrator receives an annual wage of $57,582; nearly a 40% increase over a junior admin assistant. The death of storage admins is clear, with data becoming the prominent role on offer. By retraining to expand your skills, you could help secure yourself a ‘safer’ job that offers greater financial reward.

However, it’s not just data experts that could benefit from improving their workplace qualifications. IT certificates are fast becoming the way to improve your career across a whole range of industries. Experts claim that becoming certified in your specialized subject can add an extra 5% onto your salary compared to non-certified employees.

Retrain In a Tech-related Role

It’s never too late to change your career path. Although lower paid jobs are becoming few and far between thanks to the tech takeover, advances in technology have led to the creation of many new higher paid roles.

A recent list of the best jobs in America was dominated by tech jobs once again. Chief economist of Glassdoor, Dr Andrew Chamberlain, told Business Insider that this is because every industry, from health care to retail, are hiring candidates to work in these positions. “All organizations today with a mobile app, web presence, or digitized data are struggling to fill jobs like data scientists, software engineers, and mobile developers,” he says.

Therefore, with more positions constantly becoming available and a lack of candidates filling the roles, retraining for a tech-based job could secure your future. A study recently found that six out of 10 students in the United States who studied engineering graduated from university. An amazing 97% of them managed to land a career in the field.

With online courses readily available to study, changing careers is as simple as retraining. Tech qualifications are available to work on around your commitments. With so many roles in tech expected to thrive across industries, now is the time to take advantage of the tech takeover.

Take Your Role Freelance

It’s 2017 and having a healthy work/life balance is super important. By being your own boss, you can often choose when you work. Freelance copywriter and videographer Simon Furnivall says this was a key reason for him leaving his previous role. “I’ve always wanted to write a novel,” he says.

“Working long hours and having a daily commute meant that I wasn’t able to spend nearly as much time as I’d have liked on this. That’s when I thought about working freelance. It’s allowed me to spread out my time in a more productive way. I have a Google Calendar that I share with my clients to let them know when I’m free. It’s allowed me to keep my hand in my profession as well as aim for my goal.”

Besides choosing when to work, being a freelancer also allows you to work with more than one client at a time. It isn’t necessary to be office-based anymore, thanks to technology. This has led to a lot of companies, especially start-ups, outsourcing their work.

Hiring a freelancer allows a company to reduce their overhead and hire specific professionals. Branch out and open yourself up to more opportunities. You can become an expert in your field and make more money while doing so.

Make a Difference in Society

Technology is noticeable in every trade and industry. However, with each advance comes another opportunity for innovative changes. From creating a website for a charity, to developing educational applications, technology can genuinely change the world for the better. You might even help to find a cure for a deadly disease.

Behind-the-scenes opportunities are thriving. A technological blanket now hides many of those who make a positive difference in the world. Although those who crave recognition may suffer, those who want to just make a difference have a great opportunity to do so.

So, don’t fret about the tech takeover – embrace it. Get on board with the latest developments and embrace all the opportunities that will come your way.