Editor’s Note

As work becomes increasingly automated, it allows humans to take on more complex tasks with robots handling the repetitive ones. But progressively collaborating with machines means that the workforce needs to keep its skills up-to-date. Even for a young professional like myself, it is important to keep learning and stay ahead of the curve; and this is why I recently started attending digital skills workshops.

At the same time, we see a decrease in the number of full-time positions available and the rise of more contract work (reflecting both precarity and personal choice). According to Statistics Canada’s recent 2016 Census release, the share of Canadian workers age 25 to 54 in full-year, full-time jobs dropped to 49.8%, an important decline. We are clearly witnessing a major shift in the economy and in society.

What are the trends that will mark this next era some call the Fourth Industrial Revolution? How will it impact the way we work? And how can we get ready for the transition? This is what our Winter 2018 edition is all about. We look to the future (of work) and what 2025 will bring. If you’re wondering about the significance of 2025, this is the year it’s predicted that autonomous vehicles will become the norm.

In this issue of Careering, Canadian futurist David Tal of ‎Quantumrun tells us that while it’s true that new technologies eliminate jobs, it’s also true that they create new jobs – presenting both opportunities and challenges. Then, Nathan Laurie of Rankmyinternship looks at how our next career move will be influenced by online reviews, changing how recruitment and job search will occur. Finally, Philip Gardner gives tips on how to prepare post-secondary graduates for tomorrow’s careers.

This issue also introduces a new column where career professionals reflect on the popular CERIC Guiding Principles of Career Development and how they are using them in practice. In our first installment, Paula Wischoff Yerama discusses applying the concept of career development as lifelong process. New CERIC-funded research is also featured in an article from Mount Royal University. The research helps career advisors guide students in choosing the right path in the computing disciplines – a complex and growing field that we need to better understand as we look towards the future of work.