From driverless cars to virtual reality prototyping, 3D printing and robots that can work for us, ideas that once seemed like science fiction are quickly becoming reality. This pace of change drives a continued shake-up in the business world, where adaptability and innovation have become the keys to success—or even survival.
Today’s disruptive innovations mean that tomorrow’s critical business knowledge doesn’t exist yet. In fact, your future career might not exist yet, according to The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report. So how do you prepare for the exciting, unsettling unknown of the future? And how can your studies set you on the right path?
“Business is at the intersection of the most exciting forces of global innovation. So business education today has to go well beyond business. That’s why students from around the world come to Hult—to think differently about their future.”
–Dr. Stephen Hodges, President of Hult International Business School
“Business is at the intersection of the most exciting forces of global innovation—design, science, and technology. So business education today has to go well beyond business. That’s why students from around the world come to Hult—to think differently about their future,” said Dr. Stephen Hodges, President of Hult International Business School.
Automation means that many traditional career paths will simply no longer exist. A recent report from consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests that nearly 40% of U.S. jobs could be automated by 2030. Where Uber proved a disruptive force for taxi firms, autonomous vehicles are set to supersede it—not only changing the way we get from A to B, but also revolutionizing industries like shipping and freight. While manufacturing and manual jobs may be most obvious victims of mechanization, many highly skilled professions are also set to change drastically due to new technology, including accountancy, law and financial services.
Although automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are threatening a significant portion of today’s workforce, the rapid development of technology has also created new career paths. Software engineers, website developers and multimedia programmers are in increasingly high demand. In response, Hult International Business School has launched a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science, which can be earned in conjunction with your Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Along with our new Graduate Diploma in Design, these specialized tracks help ambitious undergraduates further hone their creativity and gain invaluable technical skills in two key areas with dynamic career prospects.
Beyond our Graduate Diplomas, we also offer the opportunity to study today’s most relevant disruptive technologies through our new Nano elective courses. These one-credit online courses look at topics like virtual and augmented reality, AI and machine learning, robotics, and genome editing, allowing you to explore the most exciting forces influencing the future of business and society.
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution spreads globally, we’ll see business disruption accelerate faster than can be imagined. It is certain to be the most disruptive period in the history of business,” said Mike Grandinetti, Global Professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Marketing at Hult International Business School.
Perhaps the best way to future-proof your skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is by developing the capacities that are simply beyond the reach of robots. While a machine can analyze data at a rate unfathomable for the human brain, businesses still need leaders who are ethical, persuasive and empathetic—who have mastered the nuance of human interaction.
In the face of unprecedented technical innovation, it will be these “soft skills”—the people skills—that can set you apart. The demand for critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence will continue to grow while emotional intelligence remains beyond the capacity of artificial intelligence.
If you would like to find out more about Hult’s global business programs, download a brochure here.
Read the full article, originally published here.
Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Future thinking: Taking your Bachelor degree beyond business, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself.
