Give yourself a Future Proof Career with Upskilling
According to the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs 2020 Report”, an employee set to remain in a role will see 40% of their core skills change in the next five years, and 50% of all professionals will require upskilling.
Do you have the skills you need to make your career future-proof?
What is upskilling?
Upskilling is gaining or improving current skills through additional training and education. Examples of upskilling can include taking an online course to learn UX Design or attending conferences to get up to date on the latest industry trends. This practice is critical for the future of all employees regardless of industry.
Benefits of upskilling
Boost your employability – Having extra related skills is an asset. Employers look for versatile candidates who take the initiative through continuous learning.
Strengthen job security – Each industry goes through changes, and staying ahead is essential. As you upskill, you’ll gain an edge over others who are less skilled and become a top candidate.
Earn a higher salary – Thinking of asking for a raise? The more experience and skills you have, allows you demand higher compensation. Upskilling can give you the leverage you need to negotiate your salary.
Make a career change – Newly acquired skills through upskilling can help you get a promotion or a similar job at your dream company.
How to upskill yourself
Know your goals
Before enrolling in courses and signing up for workshops, what do you want to accomplish? It might be switching into a particular career path, or you’re working your way up to a promotion. Creating SMART goals will help direct you towards certain areas of skills you need to acquire.
Identify knowledge/skill gaps
Once you have a clear idea of your goals, it’s time to identify your knowledge gaps. A simple way to do this is to browse through job descriptions of your desired position and pick out required or recommended skills you don’t have yet.
When your skills gaps are identified, you can find learning opportunities that best suit your needs and goals.
Create a plan
There are probably tons of skills you could add to your resume, but you might not know where to start. Drafting a career plan or career map will help you better focus your upskilling efforts. A career plan is an outline of all milestones and what you need to reach them to reach your ultimate goal. When you create a career plan, there’s no question about what needs to get done.
Ask for stretch opportunities
You can gain and develop skills on the job by taking on assignments outside your repertoire. Joining a project team can get you in touch with colleagues you don’t usually have a chance to interact with.
To find opportunities start the discussion with your boss. Your manager is the stepping stone to getting your name put forward to be part of a company project. Don’t take stretch projects on if you can’t commit yourself fully.
Join a professional association
Membership in an industry association or professional group will grant you access to helpful learning resources like seminars, courses, and workshops. Joining these associations will also help you connect with potential mentors and other connections to add to your growing network.
Find a mentor
Anyone can benefit from a mentor. Even mentors need a mentor. Someone who has once been in your shoes can offer valuable insights and advice.
You don’t have to formally ask someone to be your mentor. If someone at your work has the skills or a position you want, simply reach out and ask to talk shop. You can also check if your company has a mentor program where you can be formally matched with another employee.
Be sure to offer value to your mentor by providing ideas and observations on relevant topics. Ideally, the mentee and mentor relationship is mutually beneficial.
Stay up to date
Keeping in the loop on market trends and industry news allows you to adapt your upskilling plan to stay relevant.
There are tons of ways to stay current such as:
- Make a point to read at least one industry-related book
- Follow industry experts on LinkedIn, Youtube, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
- Attend workshops and conferences
- Join LinkedIn groups to meet with like-minded people
- Subscribe to podcasts
IT Recruitment Agency in Toronto | About Live Assets | IT Staffing Solutions
Live Assets is a boutique IT Staffing/Recruiting firm specializing exclusively in building IT teams of excellence for the Information Technology sector.
We are a small, but productive team that works closely together and has had a 96% success rate for the past number of years!
We have a diverse number of clients and industries and focus on both full-time and contract I.T. opportunities.
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