Every rising sun presents new challenges and changes. The pace at which the world is changing is so fast even a blink can make you miss out. The impact of tech on our day-to-day lives is significantly changing or making our jobs obsolete.
Today, more than ever witnessed before, universities are under scrutiny as people are questioning why universities are traditionally and unsuccessfully continuing to prepare candidates who are not able to navigate current changes.
As it has happened to me, it’s not a surprise nowadays to graduate and find that what you studied is no longer needed in the job market. I studied Bachelor of Arts with Education but as soon as I graduated, I found there were too many of us in that field and nobody was hiring. With that, I was forced to look for other skills I had that I could turn into a career. Luckily for me, I had hands-on experience in playing with my laptop and smartphones for quite a long time that I eventually found an interest in Digital Marketing. I took online courses and sharpened my skills in web design, content writing, SEO and Social media marketing. So, now I am a writer, an English and Literature teacher, and a digital marketing specialist.
I have come to realize that the current workplace, which is affected by technological changes, requires adaptability more than specialization. The only question, however, is that, is it possible to have more than one career?
People aren’t one-dimensional; we are naturally inclined to have multiple skills and interests
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When you read profiles of professionals in western countries, it is common to find that someone is a biology teacher, a gym coach, and also a writer. This, however, is not the case in countries like Tanzania. The majority of us specialize in one field of expertise without even a minor in something else.
In the Tanzania career development context, it is very challenging to reskill after someone leaves school. And nearly impossible to completely switch to a different career. It is common to find someone with the same skills that they graduated with three years ago. The costs of upskilling and retooling are too high. But students can make it their personal mission to come out with at least two careers from college, either by joining an evening class or take remote learning. It’s easier to do this while you are at campus.
Remember those spy movies with double agents, or hybrid fruit trees? That is what it takes to be able to navigate current changes in the workplace.
Robert Kiyosaki in his famous book Rich Dad Poor Dad said something about knowing a little about a lot. I think he was right. Now is about time we start practicing that.
Gone are the days when people used to do one career in life. Careers are just like lifestyle interests. We have many. You might have an interest in swimming, dancing, painting, and writing. The same you can be a nurse and a model and a freelance writer and gym trainer.
