The nature of jobs and job search is shifting at a rapid pace. More job titles that didn’t exist before are being created to keep up with the digital revolution. It’s important to acquire new skills to either learn new ways of working, keeping up with the current trends, or advancing in your chosen career.
Upskilling is more than just picking up new ways of working but often involves further studying, mentoring, shadowing, and attending seminars or workshops. In an era of machine learning, constant digital innovations, and changing business priorities, upskilling has become a critical need. The reality is, the way of working is changing and so should you. In this article, we will provide you with useful ways and benefits of upskilling.
Benefits of Upskilling
Technology is constantly evolving and brings with it numerous innovations that challenge the way we work and the way the job search market operates. Experience is no longer enough to keep us in our jobs and positions. We need to keep up with the changes by constantly learning and evolving. The experience you’re gaining at your current job is important but you want to make sure that you’re not relying on training that you may have done several years ago. You need to future-proof your career through upskilling. The benefits of doing so include but not limited to:
- Job security.
- Learning new skills to further enhance your career.
- Keeping up with the new trends.
- Continued motivation.
- Staying abreast of the latest tech being used in your workplace and industry.
How to get started?
Upskilling is not only about completing your undergraduate or postgraduate degree. There are plenty of opportunities at your disposal that you can use to upskill. We have collated a few which we think are worth considering:
Shadowing
Charity begins at home. Your workplace is a minefield filled with thought leaders and subject matter experts. Ask to shadow them and allow them to teach you all that you need to know about whichever subject that is of interest to you.
Microlearning
This is a great way of learning in bite-size which allows even better absorption. This involves short web-based videos that focus on a specific topic and may sometimes include a short quiz at the end. The sessions are usually not more than 10 minutes, which means you can go through them during your lunch break.
Virtual learning
This is an online platform where you can log in at a certain time and follow a facilitator through a lesson. In this type of learning, you will be required to complete quizzes and surveys as well as watch illustrative videos on particular topics.
Mentoring
Find someone who inspires you and has all of the qualities you seek to have to succeed in your career. Once you have identified this person, reach out to them, and explain what it is that you like about their work and how you think you can benefit from them if they agree to become your mentor.
Events
Attend events that fall within your line of work. Most, if not all industries host events that showcase the latest trends. Find out about the events that are happening, attend as many as you can. In these events, you get many opportunities to network, build new relationships, and learn new things.
What can I do to make sure my skill remains relevant?
Develop new skills or ones that will add to your current skill. Register for a short course that is in line with your work. If you are already in possession of qualification i.e. a degree in economics, study further.
Before you can register for a course, do proper research to find out more about the course that you want to do. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it in line with my current role?
- Is it with an accredited institution?
- Is the content they are covering up to date?
Upskilling isn’t just about learning the theory, you need to do so practically too. Live and love what you do, it will eventually feel more like a hobby than actual work.
Where can I upskill?
There are a lot of online platforms to choose from. The most common ones include GetSmarter, Udemy, Google Academy, Shaw Academy, Pluralsight, Edx, Future Learn, Coursera, and Aws amazon.
