We often hear the outcry of jobs being lost or sent overseas.

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Many today are hurt by the loss of their job, and even more are stuck in dead-end jobs they tolerate only because they have to pay the bills.

Many say that the results of the last presidential election happened largely because people were scared of losing their jobs and tired of seeing a bleak future.

So what is the solution? Is it to bring back old jobs? Should we hope for a 1950s style workplace again?

This is not going to happen. We feel for the people who used to shoe horses who lost their jobs to the horseless carriage, but longing for an idealized “days of yore” scenario has never worked throughout history.

It is better to realize that it is the way of nature and human civilization to see change — sometimes abrupt, life-altering change. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it hurts really badly. However, within each setback and difficulty lie the seeds for making life better.

Taking Action

A better future is possible, if we are willing to change our thinking, our learning, and our actions. Many are using the word “upskill” for what is needed. Dictionary.com defines upskill as: “verb 1. (transitive) to improve the aptitude for work of (a person) by additional training.”

The best part of that is “verb.” This requires action. I call it proactive, take-charge-of-your-future action.

That means you don’t accomplish what you need by complaining, whining or crying. You get what you need by slapping yourself into action and doing what is necessary to learn new market-valuable skills. Be willing to put in the time, money and energy to create the results you need.

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to talk with two people who have helped thousands of job seekers and entrepreneurs achieve better jobs, improve their careers, and increase sales. I wanted to find out not only what is happening with a changing job market — it is pretty obvious that we are undergoing massive change — but what employees and job seekers can do now that works. I also wanted to find out what entrepreneurs who take ownership of their lives could do.

Acquiring Market-Valuable Skills

I spoke with Ruth Veloria, the Executive Dean of the University of Phoenix School of Business. She and her team work to implement the curriculum that empowers regular people to acquire market-valuable skills and get better jobs as a result. Her insights were both inspiring and educational.

As part of that interview, I wanted to get the perspective of someone who specializes in helping entrepreneurs and other achievers learn and grow. To do that, I tapped into the genius of Chris Brogan. Brogan is well-known among entrepreneurs and many in the social media space as a professional speaker and New York Times best-selling author of nine (soon to be 10) books. He works with people who take ownership of what they do either in their own organization or in their career as part of a larger enterprise.

In the interview, they talked about the need to continually upskill yourself for a new environment.

Jobs that were very good years ago are now threatened. One vivid example we discussed in the interview is that of professional truck drivers. Twenty years ago, this was a great profession that paid very well.

Those wonderful, professional truckers bring products to our nation’s marketplace. They help manufacturers, farmers and others who create products earn a living by bringing them to other people who need those products and are willing to pay for them. Everyone wins.

A Limited Future

However, today, the profession of truck driving has a very limited future. We know that autonomous trucks are coming and will eliminate many jobs. Is this bad? Well, for the truck drivers it means a loss of the way things were. However, the economics and mathematics cannot be ignored.

It takes about four days for a driver to drive a truck from Los Angeles to New York. This is driving 10 hours, which is the maximum allowed for safety. A self-driving, autonomous truck can do it in 36 hours, no sleep needed. In addition to that the self-driving truck is very safe and tests have shown self-driving vehicles avoid common human errors.

The bottom line is that professional truck drivers need to acquire new skills in a new marketplace. The good side is that those professionals who have the discipline and character traits needed for truck driving can adapt into many other jobs, many paying even more than truck driving.

During the interview, one of the many points raised is the importance of both technical skills and select “soft” skills together. One without the other will limit you. Both technical and soft skills blended together in a context-sensitive approach are essential for success in leadership positions.

Continue to embrace lifelong learning. Make it your goal to acquire new market-valuable skills each day.

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