With the massive development of technology comes the displacement of human labor. It thereby creates stiff competition in the labor market for the few job slots. Only the fittest, most qualified, highly skilled individuals are being absorbed and maintained in the workforce. To keep up to the pace of the game of the labor market, it is a must for an individual to continuously improve and enhances his or her skills. If a person opted not to upskill, especially in the areas of technology, there is a great chance that he will be displaced in the near future.
The dilemma of being part of the workforce was even aggravated by the Coronavirus and its different variants that had literally paralyzed most industries that provide jobs and employment. Those who are inept technology-wise were removed from their jobs, and those remaining in the workforce need to constantly upskill themselves to keep up their jobs and stay in the workforce. Sadly, a recent study showed that only around 77% of the employees are being shortlisted for a chance of upskilling.
If you are part of the remaining percentage that has not been included in the list, you must not sulk, for you have full control to improve yourself and upskill with or without your company’s intervention.
Here are some tips that you can consider for you to be on your competitive edge of being employable;
Seven Ways to Upskill
Widen Your Work Horizon
Be a proactive employee with an eagle eye for any opportunity you can be a part of. Usually, new areas in the company need to be filled up, and people at the top hierarchy are eyeing a potential employee to fill it up. Suppose you are just contented in your work comfort zone without exerting an “extra effort,” most likely. In that case, you will be overshadowed by your cocky co-employee that is always on the move on every inch of opportunity there is.
You need to widen and stretch your work horizon to get noticed by the top brass executives. Do not stay “invincible” when you can flaunt your skills and potential for them to take notice of you. Make an advance move by letting your immediate head know your intentions about having an additional workload or for a possible new assignment. Make sure that you got the skills to back it up.
Be Updated On The New Trends
Exploit the different sites of social media forums such as Twitter, YouTube Feeds, and Linkedln where you can follow some of the industry leaders and learn from their insights.
There are different ways in which you will be able to arm yourself with new ideas, styles, and methods. These could be reading articles, books, and magazines that are related to your job, and you can also listen to a podcast while having your rest or being stuck in the traffic. There are dozens of ways of how to upskill yourself, like attending seminars, conferences, and webinars. All you have to do is to allocate time to do it. And you must have the “drive” to do it, for if you don’t have that burning enthusiasm, you will not be enjoying what you are doing.
Be A Member Of A Professional Organization Or Association
Being in the circle of people with whom you shared a common bonded interest and profession will likely open the door of opportunity for you to improve yourself. Oftentimes these organizations and associations provide seminars, mentorship, and continuous learning for the betterment of the profession.
You will not be astray if you remain a member of the good standing of your association, for you will be kept informed of the new trends in your line of work. If you are just starting out in your profession, you will also be charged a minimum or reduced membership fee.
Take A New Course Or Advance Studies
There are no such things as “too much learning.” In fact, it is better to equip oneself with the knowledge relevant to his or her line of work. Take advantage of the online courses being offered on the net. You will get the chance to study in some of the distinguished universities of the world through online courses being offered at the Mass Open Online Courses or MOOC for brevity.
The best part is that most of these online courses are being given for free. This is the best way of harnessing your skills by absorbing new knowledge and some technical know-how.
Learning While Working
Most companies have an employee’s development plan wherein it is geared to conduct study sessions in which an employee will be able to learn new things and upgrade the quality of his or her work. Grab every chance to attend those peer-group learning sessions so that you will be able to know those relevant changes in your line of work.
Career Mapping
You will not be at the apex of your profession if you do not have a map for your career. Always include in your map the possibility of detours and humps along the way, for there is no such thing as a perfect path.
You need to be open to all the possibilities so that you will not end up being frustrated and depressed, but if you have a contingency plan, you will face any detours and humps that might come along the way. You can also make your career map by making some alignments and recalibrating your skills to attain your career goal.
Company’s Study Grants for Specialized Studies
Companies provide study grants for advanced and specialized studies but with a catch that you need to stay with the company for a number of years. It is a sort of an undertaking for the employee to use the learned skills and knowledge for the benefit of the company.
Taking such advance or specialized study will give you a vantage point and position in the company. You are able to upskill yourself at the expense of your company and at the same time improve the quality of work that you can give to your employer.
