If you want to ensure that you have a long and fruitful career, you need to start thinking about the future. Will, your job look the same in 5, 10, or 20 years from now? What will happen if it doesn’t? How can you stay ahead? These are all questions you will need to ask yourself now so you can future-proof your career and be successful, not only now, but many years down the line.

With that in mind, here are a few more things that could help you to future-proof your career starting today:

Train (or re-train) wisely

Whether you’re a young person looking to train for a long career or someone who has been working for a while looking to re-train for a better future, the biggest thing that will help you to remain relevant in the future is your choice of career. If you look at the world of work and the future of automation, you will see that many careers are rapidly becoming obsolete, while new ones are being created. You need to find out which is which and ensure you choose a career path that is likely to still be around 20 years from now. 

Keep Tech Skills Up-to-Date

Technology is being used more often in pretty much every business sector you can think of. Tech is also changing and becoming more sophisticated with each passing year, so if you’re serious about future-proofing your career, you’re going to want to make an effort to keep on top of new developments. It’s worth noting that you shouldn’t just stick to developments in your field, but try to remain abreast of tech as a whole. Obviously, you won’t be able to become an expert in every area of technology, but a working knowledge will stand you in good stead for whatever is thrown at you at work.

Develop transferable skills

Transferable skills are skills that you can use in any role at any time – things like communication, leadership, teamwork. They are always useful to have because they are desirable skills to have in pretty much any role in any workplace. That means, even if you lose your job with one company it should be much easier to get your foot in the door elsewhere. 

Develop a global mindset

We live in a globalized world where anything is possible and the main operating territories for any particular sector can change rapidly. If you want to build a strong career now, you may need to be more open to moving around for your work. Not only that but you should make yourself aware of how your chosen career works in other territories, what skills you will need to practice there and what customs are the norm in that territory. If you do this, you’ll put yourself in a great position to secure work wherever it is on offer.

Network

In business, it really is as much about who you know as what you know, so make a real effort to get out there, attend conferences and trade shows, and meet as many people in your chosen field as you can. Make a great impression and you’ll be the first person they think of when that new role becomes available.

Think seriously about the future and your future will be filled with opportunities.