What's in Your Future?

From the Wall Street Journal | July 26, 2009  By ALEXANDRA LEVIT

I've been pondering the future since my dad took me to visit the World Future Society headquarters in Bethesda, Md., when I was 10 years old. And now that I'm a career writer, it's my job to think about what the workplace will look like -- and what it will demand from us -- in 2025.

You may not be concerned with surviving beyond the current recession, but you should be. Reinvention isn't just for people who are unhappy in their current jobs. In order to have long-term, successful careers, we all must rethink how we'll stay marketable in the future work force.

The twin challenges that face a majority of 21st-century workers are outsourcing and automation. "If they can put your job into a manual, they will, and if your job can be done by someone cheaper in a less expensive locale, it will go away," says Seth Godin, the author of "Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us."

Close to the Customer

The essential worker of the future will have one-on-one relationships with customers that keep them coming back.

Mr. Godin relates the story of a local supermarket manager who was transferred and then subsequently reinstated because of a customer petition. "The people who look at every interaction as an opportunity to add value and solve problems will be the most sought-after employees in 2025," he says.

Self-discipline and internal motivation will also be critical success factors, for the traditional office environment may largely disappear by 2025.

Many will work remotely for a variety of organizations, and hours will depend on the geography of the team with which you're collaborating. Although technology will be available to track what you're working on and when, you'll need to be productive without the boss looking over your shoulder.

Another requirement is comfort with rapid change and initiatives that move at the speed of the Internet. Future workers will learn a wide array of skills from strategic planning and hiring to computer programming and design and will be expected to constantly upgrade those skills. Employees of all ages and levels will contribute creative thinking and operational excellence to projects. Gatekeepers and paper pushers will no longer exist.

Prepare for the Years Ahead

If you're sitting in a cube, doing your work the way you've always done it, how can you prepare to have a viable career in 2025? In addition to honing your technical knowledge and functional expertise in areas like customer service, you should brainstorm ways to position yourself well in the future marketplace -- before you have to.

"Instead of blindly doing what you're told, get in the habit of taking action that invites people to pay attention," says Mr. Godin. "Make changes to the organization that will benefit the customer, and you'll be the go-to person today and tomorrow."

For the under-40 set, a leadership-development course or two will be helpful, too. Starting in this decade, the baby boomers' retirement will leave a gaping hole in the executive ranks, and there will be opportunities for members of Generations X and Y to take on greater responsibilities.

Write to Alexandra Levit at reinvent@wsj.com