This is the second article in the series discussing the
future workplace and the skills and competencies you want to develop in
college, and then demonstrate in your resume´ and in interviews.
This morning I had one of those ah ha moments. It was an article that appeared in the New York Times that did it.Campaigns
Mine Personal Lives to Get Out Vote. The article reports that both the”…Obama and Romney campaigns say they have
access to information about the personal lives of voters at a scale never
before imagined. And they are using that data to try to influence voting habits
…"
Access to information at a scale never before imagined!
Yes, here’s what you need to know about the workplace of the future. The transmission of information from smart
machines, communication and processing power embedded (think cookies) into the
things we use every day and into our daily environments will unleash an
unprecedented amount of data. Every object, every interaction, everything
we come into contact with will be converted into data.
It’s already happening of
course. When watching a video on You Tube an advertising message appears most
often about a product or service that is relevant and makes an impression on
the viewer. Because Google owns You Tube it has computational and programmable
capabilities to target messages based on search and viewing habits. The marketing efforts of credit card companies
and big-box retailers have developed a significant expertise in using data it
collects to change or reinforce customer behavior. Imagine this capability from everything you come into contact with
and on a global scale.
Companies if forward-looking are
asking: how to translate huge amounts of
data quickly, without sacrificing quality? How to generate real business value with
data? How does data and global content
work together to make business smarter?
The
answers to these questions lie in humans. Companies need people who can
translate data into actionable information and thereby remove the difference
between data as just numbers and data that contributes to value for the
business and company. And as we start to live and work in a more globally
connected world companies need people who take the data and edit for idioms,
colloquialisms and other cultural nuances (linguistics, sociology,
anthropology, psychology, languages to name a few majors) to overcome the hurdle that separates culture
to culture, country to country differences. Humans are not obsolete. We still can do
something machines can’t –think.
Bottom line. Data is useless without the human skills
to analyze it.
What does this mean for today’s
college student?
Simple. In school you need to develop your ability to translate vast amounts of
data into actionable insights. I am
not suggesting you switch majors from English or sociology to mathematics or computer
science. Instead, your course of study needs
to include opportunities for critical thinking, statistical analysis and quantitative
or qualitative reasoning. If it doesn’t
then you need to find courses to help develop those skills because employers
are starting to shift their new hire expectations from proficiency in Microsoft
Office to critical thinking, analysis and reasoning skills. Don’t believe it?
A More Than A Resume´ client
was asked in an interview "how many golf balls would fit in a school
bus?" The point wasn’t for him to find the right answer but to test his
skills in experimental design, logic and quantitative analysis. This does not mean you need
to be a statistician, but you will need to know what data is available,
understand how to use it, imagine how data can lead to insights and how to work
side-by-side or manage people who are statisticians.
develop your analytical skills
Here are some suggestions for ways to
augment your field of study to gain valuable critical thinking, analytical and
reasoning skills.
- A business analytics or quantitative business analysis course teaches how to use statistical data in order to understand and solve business problems. These courses not only teach statistics, but also analytic skills, data-mining strategies, data-management skills and other business processes.
- In a sociology course students gain knowledge and understanding of research methods, analysis and statistical techniques and how to evaluate complex information.
- English majors are more than just avid and quick readers who write essays. After all, you can’t analyze or compare accurately when you haven’t read accurately or critically. An English class or two imparts important skills for conducting research, writing marketing copy, producing a white paper on technology, or writing a business plan or competitive analysis.
- Adding an art or art history class can teach logical reasoning, analytics, problem-solving in addition to aesthetic judgment and awareness of other cultures.
- Get an internship in your field of study and another internship to develop other skills.
What if you are
about to graduate? Another semester or year at school is likely not an option. When
thinking about the career and job you want, identify what experiences from
school, an internship and your summer or part-time jobs helped you develop the skills
associated with translating data into action.
- Did any of your classes use the case study method?
- Did you work on a research project?
- Were you on the debate team or involve in an in-class debate?
- Did you have a semester abroad?
- Did you create a business?
It all comes
down to understanding the value you offer to employers.
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