If we know anything for certain, it’s that the world of work is changing. Skills that were highly in demand 50 years ago are being replaced by features beyond our wildest dreams as digital connectivity and artificial intelligence reshape industries faster than ever. 

The World Economic Forum stated in their 2020 ‘The Future of Jobs’ report that by 2025, half of all employees globally will need to learn new core skills to be well equipped for the future. A big reason for this is that we’ve now entered the fourth Industrial revolution, a time marked by AI, quantum computing, the Internet of Things, and robotics.  

So what do we do? We adapt. We learn. We adjust to the changing times so we don’t get left behind. And the best way of doing that is by learning new skills. In 2020, the WEF stated that the top 10 skills of 2025 will be:

• Analytical thinking and innovation

• Active learning and learning strategies

• COmplex problem-solving

• Critical thinking and analysis

• Creativity, originality and initiative

• Leadership and social influence

• Technology use, monitoring and control

• Technology design and programming

• Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility

• Reasoning, problem-solving and ideation

Let’s take a deep dive into a few of these skills. 

Technology Adoption

Artificial intelligence is the new digital literacy. We’ve already seen and experienced how AI has infiltrated virtually every industry and facet of life. But this isn’t a moment for fear mongering. AI won’t replace humans, but humans who understand and use AI to their benefit will replace those who don’t. 

It’s not just about having tech skills; the focus should be on understanding the power tech has, how to use it effectively, and how to control it so you can complete your work in a more efficient, agile manner. Small ways you can do this is to look at elements of your job that can be automated, and find a tech solution for it. Learn how the most popular AI systems work, and what that can do to help you instead of hinder you. Use them to free up time to focus on more complex projects that AI cannot complete effectively. 

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Soft skills are just as important as hard skills. Critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, originality, and initiative are among the top skills employees will need to develop in 2025 and beyond. 

Even the most advanced AI models of 2025 will still fall short of matching the complexities and subtleties of human cognition. That’s our superpower. But most people aren’t born with complex problem-solving and analytical thinking skills; it’s learned and developed over time. 

So where to start? Analytical thinking starts with simply looking at things differently. Read more, observe more, ask more questions. Play brain games, analyse data and look for patterns and meaning, and learn how different systems or processes work. Learn how to think outside of the box. 

Emotional Intelligence

AI is powerful, but emotional intelligence is what will continue to give humans the edge. There are certain irreplaceable human traits that will grow in prominence as the years progress, with emotional intelligence being the cornerstone of effective leadership and success in 2025 and beyond. The ability to identify, understand, and manage your own emotions as well as the emotions of others helps manage conflict, enhance communication, and improve business performance. 

So how do you develop emotional intelligence? Focus on growing your own self-awareness – understanding how you feel can help you understand why you react a certain way. That leads into self-regulation, where you learn your triggers and how to control the negative ones so they don’t overtake situations. 

This contributes to greater social skills and awareness, as you’ll be able to react appropriately and communicate with people more effectively. Finally, empathy is super important. Empathising with others allows you to evaluate different perspectives, giving you a greater view of the world and different lived experiences. 

In 2025, growth is the goal. Relying on Rentoza, a product subscription business, can help fuel this growth. Our product subscriptions give you exactly what you need now, and allow flexibility as you develop. Maybe you need an entry-level laptop right now, but in 6 months you want something fancier to support applications for all your new skills – you can do that with us. So choose learning. Choose flexibility. Choose Rentoza.