'X-men' with multiple skills seen as winners on job market

Chang Shu-lan, spokesperson of “1111” online job bank, said even people possessing two professional skills will find it hard to cope with the fast market changes and meet every daunting challenge.

But “X-men” with multiple skills will be most needed on the market since they possess multitudes of expertise covering professional skills, connections, a wide range of knowledge, and creative integration of all resources and abilities, she said.

The characteristics of “X-men” are different from the traditional traits of vertical or horizontal development.

They are able to develop simultaneously in all directions to handle the increasingly complicated problems and challenges in society and the job market, Chang said.

The “X-men” concept is in line with the views held by Tom Austin, a Gartner fellow and vice president, who recently offered a prediction of several major changes that will occur in the workplace during the next 10 years.

According to Austin, the core value that people add is not in the routine processes that can be automated, but in non-routine processes, uniquely human, analytical or interactive contributions that result in words such as discovery, innovation, teaming, leading, selling and learning.

Another key trend is “work swarming” characterized by a “flurry of collective activity by anyone and everyone conceivably available and able to add value.”

“Swarms” form quickly, attacking a problem or opportunity and then quickly dissipating, said Austin.

Other major trends to be emerging by 2020 will include the attention to divergent emerging strategy patterns in the more unpredictable future, “hyperconnectedness” concerning both formal and informal relationships across enterprise boundaries, and more virtual workplace, although employees still have need for a “place” where they want to work, said Austin.

According to Chang, the future winners should possess adequate professional expertise, knowledge about new technologies, market trends, and experiences to enhance the connections with partners and industries to create new values in most efficient and innovative ways.

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