How to prepare for the job market of the future

TECH 27

H. N. Cheng, hncheng100@gmail.com, Research Center, Hercules Incorporated, 500 Hercules Road, Wilmington, DE 19808-1599
The basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, “The key is not the will to win... everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” Indeed, in the job market of the future, one needs to prepare oneself carefully in order to be successful. We can see the world changing around us. Changes are particularly rapid in technology, not only in innovation and product turnover rate, but also in work environment, corporate restructuring and global competitiveness. The technology worker needs to be aware of these changes and their implications, carry out self-assessment, and prepare for technology areas that match his or her ability and interest. The preparation may involve improvements in education, knowledge, skills, attitude, and job searching techniques. In view of changes, he or she needs to be flexible and to keep on learning. In this talk, some possible future scenarios and advice will also be covered.