The career mash up

Flexible-work natives

You've grown up during a time of tremendous technological change and innovation and have probably heard the term 'digital native' thrown around in relation to millennials and Gen Z's. In human resources terms, these generations are also often referred to as flexible-work natives.

Both technology and the rise of younger managers are changing the way people work. Recent research out of the US from Inavero and Upwork shows that remote teams are the new norm. Approximately 69 per cent of younger managers surveyed allow remote or flexible work options, with 74 percent reporting they have staff who take significant advantage of it. These same managers are also 28 per cent more likely to hire and use remote workers than older managers. In fact, the study predicts that by 2028 almost three quarters of teams across the US will have remote staff. While Australian statistics may differ, it's a trend that's happening world wide with millenials quickly becoming the most represented generation in the workforce. 

All this means that younger people are ditching traditional nine-to-five office jobs. It's less about clocking in and out and more about flexibility and unconventional work models. Increasing freedom, reducing pressure, and opening up new opportunities are key to supporting the ideal lifestyle, both at and outside of work.

Technology and life long learning 

The World Economic Forum's The Future of Jobs 2018 report says that by 2025 machines will perform more tasks than humans in the workplace. But it's not all bad news. While 75 million jobs may be replaced, the same report predicts 133 million jobs will emerge with the shake up in new technologies, automation, and artificial intelligence. Businesses and workers will need to constantly develop new skills to keep up with the changing landscape. 

There are a whole range of reasons why it's important to keep your skills up to date, including changing technology. But there's also something to be said for never being complacent or just sticking with the status quo. By taking little pieces of knowledge from here and adding skills developed from there, you can build yourself the ultimate career. Plus, with a more diverse skill set you'll also be more competitive in the job market.

Generation Flux

Fast Company, a leading business media brand, coined the term Generation Flux: a generation of people who are adaptable, multi-talented, thrive in project rather than role-based businesses, and embrace instability.

Generation Flux isn't necessarily about just hopping around from job to job though. It's the mentality that there's always a better way and things that that could be improved. They're the people who don't accept the status quo, and instead constantly add to their skills, knowledge, and experience to make the world a better place. Generation Flux combines flexible work with changing technology and lifelong learning, and their secret to sparking success is managing the chaos. 

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You too can manage the chaos and create the work life you want. Get started today with TAFE Queensland.