The Job Skill That You Will Need In The Future

In an interesting article published by AOL Jobs, Claire Gordon writes that the most required job skill in the future is that which cannot be accomplished by robots or done by people in faraway countries.

Gordon notes how according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (2013), there has been an increasing number of people registered as nurses, physical therapists, mental health counsellours, preschool teachers, private detectors, and personal financial planners. Notably, something that all these professions have in common is, essentially, a very human quality, none other than that of empathy.

Emotional intelligence may not be the most lucrative skill, but if your job entails that taking care of the elderly, or the handling of customer complaints, than you would need a certain degree of empathy in order for you to be able to cope with the stresses and tasks of the day - effectively.

As Forbes contributor George Anders well expalins, although machines have taken over a lot of the, but they can never supplant the human element. 'The mechanic's job has been deskilled', he says, 'at the same time the auto repair consultant's job has become more important'.

Empathy has also become more crucial in traditional office settings, as technology has broken down the old chain of command, and made workplaces more horizontal and collaborative. 'If you're playing around with Google Docs, six people can literally work on the same document at the same time. That never existed before', says Anders. '... Now everyone gets to sit at the keyboard'.

How can I cultivate my human empathetic potential?
After reading the above, a thought may have crossed your mind: how can I become more empathetic? It is believed that humans can augment their empathetic potential by reading fiction, meditating, and spending time with the less fortunate.

However, it is undeniable that the job market of the future will be remarkably and compassionately...human.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Muovo would like to hear from you!

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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I have chosen the wrong career. What do I do?

You suddenly wake up one morning, and you say out loud: 'I don't like my job. I want to resign'. The thought might have been blurring in your mind for some time, possibly months and even years, but when you decide to draw the line - and make that step - you begin to see and feel life in a completely new light.

So what do you do when you decide that you not only hate your job, but you're worried whether you are in the right career at all?

For starters, keep in mind that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and although you may think that by doing other jobs, perhaps in a similar or completely related field, you'll be better off - it's not always this case. An example of this would be a friend of mine, who, from a lawyer (yes, you're reading well!) went on to teaching. She loved every aspect of teaching, but soon realised that it is not an 'easy' job at all.

Muovo would like to share with you the following tips, first provided by Brazen life about what you should do when you find yourself in this (we can dare say quite common) situation:

1. Focus on what you love so much about your career of choice.
Maybe you’re one of those people whose job suddenly went “poof!” Or, all the jobs in your field seemed to evaporate while you were in school. Either way, the lack of jobs doesn’t change your passion for that job. There’s a reason you decided to pursue that particular degree and career.

Figure out what drove you in this direction. Then, start to brainstorm what other careers might require those same skills and passions.

2. Identify what you don’t love so much about your career of choice.
You already know what you like about this career. That’s the easy part. But it also helps to identify what’s unattractive about the field. You may find it hard to accept its faults, but being realistic about the not-so-great qualities of your career path will help you understand and accept why it’s time to move on.

Maybe you love the good that non-profits do, but you don’t love the stress and overwork that come along with the lack of funding. Remember, there are for-profit companies that do work you can feel good about and still help people.

Or, you’re a teacher who loves helping children grow and learn. But as you struggle to stay on top of Common Core Standards with the constant threat of layoffs, administrative meetings and paperwork, your motivation is draining. You could consider becoming a child care provider. As a nanny, for instance, you’d still be instrumental to children’s learning and development, but without as many of the stressful, non-children-focused aspects of the job.

3. Creep on what your former classmates are doing.
You’ve already decided that you need to transition to something else, and now you have a list of the skills and passions you want to take with you to a new role. The next step is to figure out in which direction, exactly, you want to head.

Remember you’re not the only one in this situation. Your classmates are likely going through the same path of exploration as they struggle to find a way to land on their feet without giving up doing what they love.

Now is the perfect time to reconnect and see what they’re up to (or simply creep on their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to see where they’re working nowadays).

Some will be still trying (and hopefully succeeding) at the original career. Some will have gone back to grad school to start a completely new one. Some will have fallen back on working for their family’s business or might seem like they’re doing nothing much at all.

But there will always be a handful of people who are doing something creative. Use them as inspiration as you decide how to move forward. They may even offer you some connections to get your foot in the door to follow their path.

4. Do what you’ve always wanted to do as you figure it out.
Not having a stable job is stressful, and it’s even more stressful if you don’t know what job you should even look for.

This is your opportunity to focus on something you’ve always wanted to explore but never had time to do.

Look for an internship or start volunteering in a field you’ve always been interested in. When a friend was laid off from his job, he wasn’t quite sure what direction he wanted to head in. While he explored his options, he volunteered at a small local brewery because he loved craft beer and wanted to learn more about the industry.

That’s how he discovered his passion. He now works for a growing microbrewery as a brewer and helps with their marketing. He loves his job—much more than the one he was laid off from.

It can be disheartening when you feel like the world is against you and telling you that you picked the wrong career. But just because everything hasn’t gone according to plan doesn’t mean you have to turn your back to the job you love and go in a completely different direction. By following the above tips, you can just reroute your career GPS to arrive at a new, equally fulfilling destination.

Have you had to change the direction of your career due to forces out of your control? How did you do it?

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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It's not how good you are. It's how good you want to be!

Are you wondering what this is all about?

You're not alone. Paul Arden in his best-selling book entitled, 'It's not how good you are but how good you want to be', gives us some clues on how we can set our mind to achieving or accomplishing anything and whatever we truly desire.

The following are three incisive points that he mentions in his book, and which Muovo would like to share with you:

1. If you don't have a goal, it's difficult to score.

In other words, you need to set an aim and do the best you can to work towards that aim. Visualise a dream and work your way towards realising it - making it happen, in reality. Write down a list of things that you want to achieve, maybe not in a definite time, but over a number of weeks, or months, perhaps even years. Look at it from time to time and see what you have managed to accomplish, what you haven't and why, and whether your goals are still the same or might have, for several reasons, changed slightly (or significantly!).

2. How good do you really want to be?
Some people are happy by just being 'Quite Good' or 'Good', as they scramble through the day and take everything as it comes, without really putting much effort into what they do. As long as it's acceptable, or good enough to be acceptable, than that's that.

Others however strive to put into that extra effort, and want to be 'Very good' in whatever they are doing. They are willing to do some sacrifices in order to achieve the results that they desire.

Another group of people are willing to go the extra mile, and therefore set themselves a goal, their personal mission, that is: 'To be the best in my field'. Of course, this may not always be possible (depending on what your job is, experience, the size of the company, and so on)...but with time, dedication and stamina - it is anything but impossible. From my experience, whoever shows dedication and passion from the job that they're doing, and display their sense of creativity and zest for life through their work...are the most successful group of people.

The final set of individuals are the 'high achievers', seen by some as 'overly ambitious' or perhaps even pompous and arrogant. This group comprises people who are courageous, confident and dedicated enough to work hard through to the top, work hard and long enough to become 'the best in their field'.

The question remains, 'So how good do YOU want to be?'

Remember that your future is in your hands.

3. Do NOT be afraid of making mistakes.

Although many of us may be wary of making mistakes, and when we do so we might feel ashamed, angry, scared, or blamed ourselves for making that mistake - maybe one which we have repeated over and over again. 

Nobody is perfect. We are only human. Although this is not an excuse to keep on making mistakes, and refusing to take any form of responsibility for our actions, or lack thereof, it should be of course, born in mind when you find yourself in the midst of confusion, lethargy, or the dreaded failure.

'Failure', or the inability to achieve our goal, or an aim that was set for us as capable of achieving, for which we didn't, the opposite of 'success', can come to us a hard blow when in reality, it is part of our way to success...an obstacle which we will face in the building of our career.

'If you fail to succeed, try, try again.'

Remember that you only fail, when you decide to give up. Giving up is a choice. Choose to keep on going. Stay strong.
                                             

Nikita Pisani at Muovo

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3 Reasons Why You Need a Portfolio

This article is courtesy of Career Builder

Job interviews used to be about showing up, answering questions and being polite and professional. Now, with how competitive it is to get a job, successful candidates need to also focus on proving their usefulness to the company and their uniqueness as professionals.

How?

Portfolios -- visual representation of previous work -- have been go-to job search tools for copywriters, graphic designers and artists for years. But the benefits of a portfolio can be reaped by any serious job applicant, regardless of the industry. While they shouldn't replace résumés, portfolios can help bring your experience to life.

Here are some benefits:

1. People like pictures. It's simple but true: Instagram and Pinterest wouldn't be successful if it weren't. You can draw people in by showing an interesting visual representation of your previous work experience and volunteer activities.

Did you volunteer for Habitat for Humanity? Use a picture of you helping to build a house. Did you do work on a social media campaign? Use a picture of some of your tweets and posts. Did you work the front desk for a pharmaceutical firm? Use some of the firm's pictures of people its drugs have helped (Always give photo credit and be sure that the photo is available for public use.)

The purpose of the photo is to catch someone's eye and draw him in to learn more. The more interesting the picture, the better -- just be sure it's relevant.

2. People like stories. Once you've drawn someone in with a picture, use a paragraph to tell a story about what you did at a company or in a volunteer position. Make sure you focus on how you benefited the company and made a difference. Use this story to answer the questions, "How did I help this company/organization meet its mission?" and "What did I do differently or better than others have done?" Keep it to just a few sentences, but keep it interesting. Remember, you've always got your résumé to fall back on for bullet-point details.

3. Portfolios let you feature your strengths. When you put together a portfolio, you're guiding a hiring manager through the story you want to tell. Instead of having to give all of your job duties equal weight (like on a résumé), you can feature the elements of your background that make you most interesting and most useful to the company with which you're interviewing.

The interviewer is in the position to decide whether you get the job, but it's up to you to guide the discussion toward the things about you that make you the best candidate.

So, how do you build a portfolio? You'll want both an online and a print one. Sending a link to an online portfolio with an application or cover letter lets you show off your skills before an interviewer meets you. A print portfolio lets you show off your skills in person.

For your print portfolio, you can go to an art store and simply pick up a presentation case with clear archival pages (kind of like old photo book pages) in which to put samples. In a pinch, you could even use a good-looking binder.

Portfolios are an effective way to help you direct the conversation about yourself as a job candidate. But, right now, not that many people outside of the creative industries are doing it, which means that creating your portfolio is just another opportunity to stand out and prove what an insightful, strategic and unique professional you are.

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