Book

Future Fit

How to Stay Relevant and Competitive in the Future of Work

Andrea Clarke

Major Street Publishing, 2019

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Editorial Rating

Qualities

Comprehensive
Well Structured
Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Executive trainer Andrea Clarke believes your identity, your will and your strength keep you competitive and prospering through the upheavals wrought by new technologies, job uncertainty and career transitions. She identifies eight essential human skills that defy automation: “reputation capital, communication, adaptability, creativity, networking, leadership, problem solving and continuous learning.” Hone and develop these capabilities to become Future Fit – strong, nimble and resilient in today’s work environment and the workplaces of tomorrow.

Summary

It’s your responsibility to remain relevant, competitive and attractive to employers.

On September 8, 2008, Andrea Clarke was in a war zone in Baghdad, Iraq while working for a nonprofit agency. There Clarke learned to remain productive, to allow for “courteous confrontation” between co-workers and to give everyone a voice.

Today, the responsibility for remaining relevant, competitive and sought-after in less structured or nonreciprocal work environments falls onto employees. Differentiate yourself by developing eight soft skills: “reputation capital, communication, adaptability, creativity, networking, leadership, problem solving and continuous learning.” Clarke consistently invested in herself to become a valuable asset to potential employers.

Develop a personal brand and earn reputation capital to accrue tangible value in the workforce.

When Clarke returned to Washington, DC from Iraq, she launched a job search the very next morning. If she didn’t land a job within 10 days, she’d have to return to her native Australia. She contacted every person in her network and soon had leads. ...

About the Author

Andrea Clarke is a former broadcast journalist and founder of the executive training program in Australia, CareerCEO.

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R. T. 4 years ago

Not bad at all. It’s pretty standard fare on the generic ideas around staying relevant in a fast-changing world of employment – but nevertheless, an important thing to be aware of.