Q&A with Tracey Wilen-Daugenti: Future of Work, Skills, and Careers

In this Q&A podcast, I speak with Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, a prominent thought leader on the impact of technology on society, work, and careers. Dr. Wilen is a former visiting scholar at Stanford University, and has held leadership positions at Apple, HP, Cisco, and the Apollo Group. She has authored 11 books, including Employed for Life, 21st. Century Career Trends (2014), Women Lead: Career Perspectives from Workplace Leaders (2013) and Society 3.0: How Technology Is Reshaping Education, Work, and Society (2012). 

At the 2015 ATD International Conference & Exposition, Dr. Wilen will facilitate the session, “Society 3.0: The Future of Work, Skills, and Careers in a Technology-Driven World,” during which she will discuss how rapid changes in society and technology have changed the workforce and the nature of employment. Indeed, according to Dr. Wilen, the modern workplace requires individuals and firms both to actively engage in workforce preparation for future employment to ensure personal, corporate, and national prosperity. 

Dr. Wilen explains that there are a number of trends—or forces—having an impact on the modern workplace. For example, people are living longer and living in more volatile and complex work and personal environments. Likewise, organizations must contend with increasingly competitive environments that require them to develop an employee base that is armed with new skills, such as novel and adaptive thinking and elevated computer literacy and multimedia skills. 

In light of such workplace developments, Wilen recommends workers take a career “selfie”—a  portrait of their skills and career objectives. Listen to the podcast to learn the key elements of the career selfie, as well as what employees can do to bring their current and future skills into focus.