Week #8 - What's Next?

I’ve always had an interest in technology.  I was fortunate to have a hand-me-down computer in the late 1980s and “modern” computer in the early 1990s.  I watched TechTV and read Wired and PC Magazine.  I had enough confidence to perform hardware upgrades and software hacks, and even built a couple gaming machines.  I guess it’s odd that it never occurred to me to pursue a career path in tech.

I am “tech positive.”  Measuring conservatively, I’ve adapted to tech generally and artificial intelligence specifically.  I think I have taken strong strides towards becoming an adopter and, in some respects, have become adept.  I’m an avid listener of tech focused podcasts, rarely pass up an article or blurb on the “future” of artificial intelligence, and, as I’ve pursued my MBA, become more interested in data. 

Prior to picking up Surfing the Tsunami, I had already started reinforcing my math skills and exploring some of the computer programming offerings on Khan Academy (I’m quickly approaching 1,000,000 meaningless internet points).  I’ve also poked around sites like freeCodeCamp and LinkedIn Learning.  Initially, these efforts were born out of curiosity and making constructive, productive use of my newfound spare time during The Pandemic.  But now, it seems to be more important than that.   

As artificial intelligence becomes even more integrated into the workspace, members of the workforce will most certainly be required to be AI adopters. More and more, job postings are searching out more than just “tech savvy” or “familiarity” with email.  Instead, organizations are looking for employees with practical experience using a variety of data harvesting and processing programs like Power BI, Tableau, and Alteryx as well as advanced fluency with old standbys like Excel.    

Competitive advantage is typically executed at an organizational level through cost leadership or product/ service differentiation or focus.  With time, organizations may come to increasingly rely on personnel to be more than proficient with software, but adept individuals with the advanced, sophisticated understanding needed to create and innovate.