https://youtu.be/j7TXeZ-T8qc
What are the new demands of the job market? Why should we reinvent ourselves for the jobs of the future? What is the best way to do so? These were some of the key topics discussed at the conference “We Always Have Another Chance.”
The event, organized by the Department of Short-Term Programs at ORT’s School of Management and Social Sciences, took place online on Wednesday, February 23. The speakers were Patricia Merla—commercial manager at Securitas Uruguay—and Ricardo Kaufmann—academic secretary and associate professor of General Management at the School of Management and Social Sciences.
The Future of Work
“We have to be prepared for the ongoing changes we will face,” Kaufmann said.
He explained that the labor market increasingly needs to incorporate new skills for the future. On the one hand, reskilling (acquiring new skills for new jobs). On the other hand, upskilling (integrating new skills and improving existing ones to make current positions more productive).
Today, people with well-developed soft skills are highly valued and sought after. These skills primarily include attitude, empathy, resilience, discipline, and perseverance. “Soft skills strengthen bonds and constructively foster interpersonal relationships, openness to new experiences, respect, kindness, and perseverance, while also improving decision-making and action-taking.”
The Importance of Reinventing Yourself
“We must adapt to change, embrace it, and always look on the bright side; we must take the initiative, putting in effort and passion, commit to our goals, and achieve them with discipline, perseverance, a positive attitude, and empathy. Being disciplined and persistent is more important than being talented. Only in this way will we be able to improve,” Merla said.
“We must step outside our comfort zone. We will always encounter problems and challenges. This will help us grow and give us the chance to turn difficulties into new opportunities to improve our lives and the lives of others,” said the expert, adding that it is important to have clear goals. “If we don’t know where we want to go, we’ll never get there. We need to be very clear about our purpose—why we do what we do.”
“At any moment, we can reinvent ourselves and choose who we want to become. If we use our talents, nurture them, inspire those around us, and help them grow, we will leave a lasting legacy,” Merla concluded.
Continuing education
Kaufmann noted that, for the job market of the future, continuous training is essential. With that in mind, he highlighted two initiatives offered by the school to help students stay up to date on key aspects of today’s organizations, whether they are working for a company or running their own business:
"Update in Sales Management and Marketing " is a compact, 140-hour course divided into five modules. The program focuses on sales intelligence and performance metrics, customer experience management, and online operations and marketing.
The Operations and Services Update course has the same course load and is divided into four modules. This course focuses on service marketing management, integrated logistics and SCM, process automation, and service operations.