If you are facing the uncertainties of living and working in the coming decades, you have legitimate reasons for fear. 

That is true if you have already spent a number of years working; are just entering the job market, or are considering education or training before doing so.

But you know that expensive education or training do not always lead to career success, and can  load you down with a lifetime of debt from student loans.

You may believe you will never own a place of you own to live; and already, you may have abandoned the notion of finding a partner and building a family, or even owning a car.

You have used technology your entire life. But you may have experienced or seen the ways in which it can be used against you by individuals, corporations, and the government itself. 

And now you hear of and see the threats posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in eliminating millions of careers and jobs – including some you may be interested in.

The advice you have received from parents and other well meaning adults seems empty and irrelevant to the conditions and future you face. They mean well and want the best for you, but they are uncertain what to offer as they may see the same threats to their own futures.

The future looks bleak, but…you must – and can –  have hope.

You may have heard an old saying, that tough times make tough people, and found it irrelevant or silly.

But it’s not – people in all times have faced tough to seemingly impossible situations, and found ways to endure and even succeed through them.

So, how do you do that?

Here’s the secret.  You likely have heard of, or learned, the basic skills needed.

Their importance may been forgotten in the decades of your parents and grandparents.

Their world was one of a booming economy; a time where narrow technical skills were more highly valued than “soft skills”; and where someone could find a job and stay in it – often at a single company, their entire working life. And where the United States was the unquestioned global leader in everything.

Those days are obviously gone.

The pace of change is accelerating, the old rules don’t apply and no one can know where any of it leads. 

The skills you need to develop are the ones that help you develop competence and confidence in yourself. 

And they are the skills that will help you be successful with other people.

Remember:, 

Whatever the world brings your way, there will always be communities of people with whom you will need to interact; there will be someone in social circumstances you want to impress; and your ability to get along with coworkers and bosses will be the key in how you succeed in work.

Now, none of these skills automatically translate into success – in civil, social, or workplace circumstances.

And none will guarantee you won’t have tough times.

That’s life.

And you may still need education or training for the work you want to do.

But what the skills will do is put you into the position to stand out no matter where you wind up. 

Look for every opportunity to build upon them – these are not learn once and forget; they are best developed in daily use.

1. Be A Good Communicator

Your fundamental skills should be to be able to listen, to speak, and to write.

The most important is the ability to listen.  Too many people listen, seemingly with one ear, while already thinking about  a response. But learn to really listen – give your full attention – to the words and their meaning when talking to someone.

Speaking isn’t aimless talk. It’s saying things concisely and convincingly that address the concerns or values of the person you are speaking. 

And writing means just that – learn to write in complete logical sentences (with correct grammar and spelling). 

Yes AI can do that for you – and it is certainly a help with checking grammar – but you need to be able to write for yourself to communicate with the person or persons. Develop your own skills in writing.

2. Be a Critical Thinker

Accept no arguement or statement at face value – at least from no politician, corporate leader, or anyone you don’t know well.  Institutions have their own agendas and the power of deceptive statements is overwhelming.

Learn critical thinking, which leads to logical deductions and informed opinions. 

Determine what facts there are (and where there are no facts – only opinions); understand the motivations and prejudices behind someone else’s statements (and be aware of your own); be disciplined in your thinking and do not give in the emotional or sensational arguments offered

Be willing to take time to reason and reflect.

3. Be Curious

Be interested and willing to learn about anything that crosses your path. 

Take a short class or attend a presentation on anything that interests you; watch a video or series of videos on some new subject (being careful to do critical thinking and know who’s presenting the information). 

And read – books, actual printed books; the tactile feedback from holding a book in your hand and being able to flip back and forth between pages as needed can never be equaled by holding an electronic device. 

Reading will open ideas and worlds, that videos can only give you a glimmer. Reading fiction will strengthen your imagination; reading non-fiction will help you work through sometimes complex arguments and help develop your critical thinking skills.

4. Be Humble

Do the job assigned or the one you can get – even if it means at a lower pay or if you have more skills than required. Your willingness to do the work will be observed (and if someone is only taking advantage of you, you’ll find out soon enough).

Show up on time. Do what’s expected of you – be cheerful about it.

If you work hard and are promoted or rewarded, be humble with any success. You will find success and failure sometimes show up when least expected, and often follow each other – neither is permanent.

5. Be Interested in Others

Most people are primarily interested in themselves – that’s just the way it is. 

So, if you show sincere interest in everyone you meet, you will make yourself more interesting to them.

Being able to share ideas, even disagreements – but understanding them in terms of who they are; what they believe; and what they want – will mark you as someone exceptional.

Think of it this way, meeting someone new and being sincere in your interest is like dropping a stone in a calm lake – the ripples can spread out in unexpected and surprising ways.

6. Learn Another Language (or Two)

Consider this a bonus skill.

Learning anything is good for your brain.  And with the world changing, learn at least a smattering of Chinese and Spanish.

Yes, there are programs and phone apps that will translate for you. 

But learning a new language – either through videos, short classes, or being taught by a speaker o that language – will help teach you not only the language, but the culture of another country.

And again, that makes you more interesting and well rounded.

That’s it! . Nothing magical – but skills that most people never know or think to put into action.

Best of luck – may you have fair winds in your journey.