We are amid a revolution of work, which started already long before the pandemic. Making sense of the future of work can feel tricky in the middle of a constant information overflow. This course is supported with academic research and references packaged in a way that is easy to access. In this course, we will look at how the roles of the individual, organisations and society have changed and how it affects how we work today and in the future. The course is an open online course. The course material is divided into five (5) chapters.
Prepare for the future of work
Work is becoming disconnected from time, place and employment. This transformation of work has many consequences on the individual. How can you prepare for the future of work?
Knowledge work is no longer as tightly tied to traditional working times, workplaces or forms of employment. As a result, the boundaries between work and life are blurring, hybrid and remote work are becoming more common, cognitive demands are increasing and careers are becoming more fragmented.
Some of the changes in the world of work bring more flexibility and freedom but they also assume greater individual responsibility. Three key challenges for individuals in dealing with these changes are:
- How to develop future skills & employability?
- How to cope with overwhelming demands of complex knowledge work?
- How to build holistic wellbeing in time- and location-independent work?
Develop future skills
As technologies take over a broader range of physical and intellectual tasks, linear and routine forms of cognitive work become less common. As a consequence, knowledge work is becoming more complex and technical and requires more creative thinking, problem-solving, and interdependency.
Experts are talking about 鈥渇uture skills鈥, but there is some disagreement on what these future skills are exactly. The most important future skills are likely to include both hard (i.e. digital and technical) and soft (i.e. creative and social) skills. No matter what, the need for proactive and lifewide learning is necessary.
Reflection
Reflect on the kinds of hard and soft skills and competencies you are likely to need in the future, and why.
More tools
To reflect on the other challenges of the future of work see here:
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Lifewide Learning
Aalto University Lifewide Learning helps you develop your skills in an ever-changing environment.
In this course, you will learn what radical creativity is and how to apply it at both individual and organizational levels.
Oasis of Radical Wellbeing
Social sustainability in practice.
Learn to think like an entrepreneur and to solve real-world problems by creating something new.
Personal Impact
Personal Impact brings to light already existing courses in Aalto University on values and meaningfulness, self-leadership, societal impact, human potential and well-being.