Francesca Boem is an Associate Professor with the Electronic and Electrical Engineering Department at University College London (UCL).
She received the MSc degree (cum laude) in Management Engineering in 2009 and the PhD degree in Information Engineering in 2013, both from the University of Trieste, Italy. She is the Director of UCL’s MSc in Integrated Machine Learning Systems. Her current research interests include distributed fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control methods for large-scale networked systems, safety and security of cyber-physical systems, learn-based control. Dr Boem is the EDI Chair for the UK Automatic Control Engineering (ACE) Network.
University students today are facing significant challenges to their employment prospects.
AI has transformed the job market across sectors, particularly in technology where it is being used to conduct tasks such as generating code, synthesising data and automating routine testing. Graduates are understandably increasingly concerned about job displacement. More than one in 10 (11 percent) graduates are already looking at shifting their career plans due to AI and 14 percent report feeling pessimistic about their career opportunities because of it. These fears are not unfounded, with one of the most recent layoffs from Microsoft seeing 4,800 job cuts as the organisation invests heavily into AI. Fortunately, there are steps that graduates can take to future-proof their careers and skills amid an uncertain landscape.
Upskilling is key
As technology evolves at an exponential rate, it is fundamental to stay up to date, remain curious, read, and take advantage of available training opportunities. Individuals must take the opportunity to not only utilise AI for upskilling but embrace other technologies in order to enhance their careers.
However, it’s critical that graduates ensure they are selective in what they choose to pursue, or they risk getting lost following the latest technology trends. Whenever possible, graduates should speak to career counsellors or managers when starting a new job to ensure they know what they need to focus on in their roles, where they would like to be in a few years, what they need to get there and how they can continue to expand their skillset. They should also consider focusing on those skills that can be transferred across different roles.
Cross-collaboration and communication
Interpersonal skills are a prime example of a skill that can be refined and used across multiple roles. In particular, the demand for collaboration is higher than ever. Our societies are facing complex challenges that cannot be solved by specialists from separate sectors in isolation: they require collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach.
Graduates and young people can build their collaboration skills by expanding their network beyond their usual comfort zone. This can be done by participating in different events or conferences that are organised with the purpose of facilitating engagement between different worlds, for example, mixing academia with industry, engineers with healthcare professionals, and policy makers with technical experts.
Not only does attending events expand a graduate’s professional network, but it also allows them to communicate with individuals that they might not regularly meet in their day-to-day work, helping them understand how different roles function and how to collaborate with them effectively.
Another interpersonal skill that is critical and useful to transfer across industries is communication. By meeting people from diverse sectors and backgrounds, graduates can understand the demands of different roles and how they can communicate with them to offer solutions. To enhance this skill, graduates must look for any opportunities where they can hold a leadership position that will help them refine their ability to lead teams. Across careers, regardless of the sector, communication and collaboration serve as valuable skills that should be developed and practiced.
Ethical responsibilities
Interpersonal skills and the human element are particularly critical as technology evolves so fast that policymakers, governments, and authorities struggle to keep up. Because it is extremely difficult to regulate a field like AI, where putting constraints could also stall major opportunities, it is essential that employees take responsibility for their role and embed ethical considerations into their decisions.
Ultimately, every individual must realise they play a major role in the future of humanity. We must maintain control over our choices and responsibilities, rather than entirely delegating them to AI agents.
Reasons to be positive
While the employment landscape is tougher than ever for graduates, there are clear steps they can take to improve their position and future-proof their careers. Keeping up to date with education on key topics and embracing training opportunities will put young people in a strong position to progress. Working with others and keeping an open mind to different perspectives is crucial for success. As communication and collaboration are key skills in any walk of life, graduates can grow by putting themselves in situations where they have to interact with others. Ultimately, by partnering these interpersonal skills with a strong sense of ethical responsibility, young professionals can proactively protect themselves, navigate an AI-driven world and elevate their career prospects.
