The world is dynamically changing due to technological advancement. Companies have to adjust their operations to fit in industry-wise and keep up with consumer expectations. The requirement for employees to also keep up-to-date with the new tech is naturally penchant. One must be versatile, and you need to upskill and reskill for versatility.
I know some might think upskilling and reskilling might be the same, but they are not. Upskilling is when workers learn or are taught new skills in line with their career path, in other words, advancing their talent. In contrast, reskilling is when new skills are taught so that you do a different job altogether. So, one way to keep up with the ever-changing world and to remain relevant is to either upskill or reskill.
Ways to reskill and upskill
Prioritizing the skill you need right now is an essential factor in your road to promotion in your career path or a different job. Say in your quest to better yourself you want to try out photography; pick up skills specifically in line with your job. As a Marketing Officer for example, take up graphic design or product photography lessons. Supermarket catalogues bring the most inspiration. Look at the Aldi sales catalogue for this week, for example. See how the fruits and vegetables are arranged in the picture, how the cans and bottles pop out. Check how the food arrangements just make your mouth start to water. That’s the skill you need to hone. This additional competency will cause you to move away from the general mundane tasks onto what your department most likely pays an agency to do. Suddenly, you will have an avenue to ask for that raise you’ve been itching for.
In a different light, taking on projects that are not usually in your comfort zone could also help you to better your skills. Think of it, if you work on a project with people that specialize in different aspects than you, you could harness critical problem-solving skills, for example. Job stretch opportunities challenge you out of your comfort zone and force you to adopt new skills.
In these unprecedented times, shadowing someone at work could also go a long way. If you’re looking to master a certain technique, approaching a colleague and asking them to mentor you could be of great assistance. There’s no better way of learning than through watching someone in action. Through such a system, you gain expert advice and experience.
The most crucial benefit of upskilling and reskilling is that you will stand out in a competitive crowd. The process boosts your potential of being employed or promoted. Moreover, you become more relevant to your company or industry, and somewhat indispensable.
Set up a personal, professional goal plan to help in your development. Goals give you a clear outline of what skills are necessary in your career path and define what success will look like so that you are encouraged to work towards attaining those skills. All the best!
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