{"id":11171,"date":"2017-10-25T13:16:37","date_gmt":"2017-10-25T13:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=11171"},"modified":"2025-09-18T15:18:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T13:18:33","slug":"combat-career-inertia-by-adopting-the-mindset-of-a-new-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/combat-career-inertia-by-adopting-the-mindset-of-a-new-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"Combat career inertia by adopting the mindset of a New Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Take a moment to picture the elusive workplace of the future – which, by the way, is now only a handful of years away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millennials will represent 75% of the global workforce by 2025 – right now, at GetSmarter<\/a>, millennials make up 90% of a 330-strong team –  and within the next 3 years it\u2019s expected Baby Boomers will leave 31 million job positions open as they head into retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s also a good chance if you’re a Baby Boomer you may not retire, with the Bureau of Labour Statistics predicting the participation rate of workers older than 65 will rise to 23% in 2022.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, the rapid and disruptive evolution in digital technology you\u2019re currently experiencing won\u2019t be slowing down anytime soon; you\u2019ll be expected to join progressive and diverse companies that are multigenerational, multicultural, multinational and gender-balanced; increasingly employers will put more trust in you – allowing you to work remotely and giving you flexible holiday benefits; and you\u2019ll be given more autonomy over your professional development and career growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amidst all of this disruption, an evolved working professional will have to emerge – a digital native driven by change not by generational identity, with a demonstrated propensity for and ability to embrace education and learn new skills in a globally distributed, highly collaborative and always on-the-go workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The New Professional<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Thelme Janse van Rensburg<\/a>, Chief of Talent at GetSmarter believes the New Professional is a self-starter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe rise of digital education has changed the profile of the successful employee. Previously, you’d look for people who would stick to the requirements of their role, follow instructions on completing training and remain in a specific role for a long period of time \u2013 which creates stability, but in no way increases the pace at which the business achieves its objectives. Now, you employ self-starters who know that upskilling and self-learning has high impact. This employee will use digital education to fill the gaps they identified themselves and rise to the top (along with the business) a lot quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Related content: Join the New Professionals Network\u00a0<\/strong>FIND OUT HOW<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What does this mean for you?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of your age, if you\u2019re planning on remaining in the workforce you’ll need to be willing to pick up the baton from the greats that have gone before you, and join this new movement of working professionals who are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n