How to future-proof yourself (and your career)

With all of the technological and scientific advances out there, it can be hard for ordinary workers to keep up — with many worrying that they will be left behind.

“I think people need to do a little critical assessment and ask: ‘What do I need to do to grow?’” says Scott Steinberg, CEO of the management consulting and market research firm TechSavvy Global. “Ask yourself, ‘Are there steps that I should be taking? We often get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget to take a step back.”

Steinberg —whose new book “Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty” — is on shelves now has these suggestions for workers looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Have a plan: “You need to be purposeful and strategic,” he notes. “[Whatever field you are in], things are going to look a lot different in ten years. So what do you need to do to get there?”

Steinberg uses people currently working in sales as a good example of a field that should always be looking forward. “Customers aren’t going to want the same thing over and over,” he points out. “So you can either chose to do nothing now, or you can prepare.”

Recognize what transfers: “You can also ask, where can I go to pick up new skills,” he notes. “If I am a copywriter by day, I can easily transition to a marketing role or a social media role.” Networking and thinking outside of the box is key. “We always encourage people to be more courageous in their choices,” says Steinberg.

Make your move: If you feel like your field is about to change drastically, it’s sometimes better not to make your salary your number one priority when considering new positions. “It may be that you have to take a side step- or even a back step – in rank and pay,” Steinberg says. “Sometimes you have to do that and just say, ‘I can be the Vice President of Marketing at this smaller startup as long as I am focused on my goal in the end.”

Learn from others: Steinberg says there is a common thread among the people who he’s talked to about their career journeys. “They all wish that they had made the leap soon,” he says. “What we found was not that people can’t be successful, but that most of the time it was fear that was holding them back.”

Follow Lakshmi Gandhi on Twitter @LakshmiGandhi.