Upskilling is of prime importance in today’s job industry. Here’s how it works and 5 tips for you to upskill for career advancement.
If youve ever played an RPG or any video game in general, there are times you would get stuck in a specific level. To advance or to defeat a powerful character, you need to level up through experience points and quests. Only when you reach that specific XP, your character unlocks newer capabilities and powers required to further in the adventure.
Upskilling works in similar ways. It unlocks new potential in you and helps you steer away from career stagnation. If youre feeling stuck in your current role, wondering why youre unable to progress further, you have probably maxed out on your current competencies and skill sets. You need to level up and upgrade to skills that are in-demand.
To help you have more clarity, Ive compiled some surefire tips to advance in your career through effective upskilling strategies. Lets find out what they are, shall we?
Here are 5 tips to upskill for career advancement:
1. MAP YOUR STRENGTHS TO YOUR ASPIRATIONS
Upskilling is most rewarding when you align your strengths to your vision and goals. While you could transition into a domain contrastingly different from where you are currently, this would take significant time considering you need to pick up certain skills from scratch and inculcate them.
Playing to your strengths gives you the advantage of time, where you sharpen an existing knife and optimize your current skills to something more in demand.
This will help you find that balance between what you want to do and how you could do it. So, take some time to introspect and gain more clarity on this. This will set things up for what is to follow.
2. FIND THE RIGHT CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME
Once youve decided what you want to do, the next step is to find the best way to pursue it. Options are aplenty but the right certification programmes will help you effectively harness new skills, while giving you hands-on experiences on tools and platforms you would need to master new competencies.
While looking for certification programmes, keep an eye out for:
- Accreditation and who certifies you as qualified (universities, institutes, online schools and more)
- Faculty, pedagogy and curriculum
- The duration of your preferred programme and the finances associated with it
- Format of the programme whether it allows you to balance work and studies
- Specialisation modules offered
- Placement assistance/guarantee programmes
- List of tools you would work on
- Relevance of case studies, course materials and capstone projects to real-world scenarios and more
These will help you zero in on the programmes that best suit your requirements, out of which you could choose the one that will take you to the next level in your career.
3. WORK ON PROJECTS AND BUILD A SOLID PORTFOLIO
One of the best ways to upskill and get better at your new skillsets is to consistently apply them practically in solving real-world concerns.
Regardless of how insignificant or minute your projects are, strengthen your skills by working on those that are outside of your program curriculum.
This will enable you to encounter different scenarios, come up with workarounds for problems and find the most practical approaches to solving concerns.
This will also add value to your portfolio and take you a step closer to landing your dream job. Consider these as side quests that are good to play.
4. CONSUME THE RIGHT CONTENT
They say we are what we eat. But today, it is we are what we consume. Consume in the sense, read, watch and listen. While youre upskilling, it is important to consume the right content that will complement your upskilling visions.
If youre into Data Science or AI, read the best books, watch the right documentaries and listen to podcasts from the masters themselves.
The more you gain exposure and depth on the subject, the better your confidence and interactions during your interviews.
5. BE PART OF THE RIGHT NETWORK
One of the most underrated aspects of upskilling is having the right peer group. While your programme would help you form a primary network with like-minded and aspiring individuals, take the time out to network outside of it as well.
Make use of LinkedIn to connect with industry veterans in your field, attend meetups and seminars and be part of the right circles to understand industry intricacies better.
Your programme and materials will help you prepare for your role but networking with industry people will help you gain clarity on how your job profile would look like, pay scale aspects, work-life balance, the right companies to work with and more.
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Except for the pointer on finding the right programme, most of them are modifications in your attitude and approaches to life. They are inclined more towards becoming a way of life, which will only help you keep soaring high in your career path.
You would become a lifetime learner and someone inquisitive when you consider these aspects.
So, sit down, think of them and chart out the best plan for your career growth.
Good luck!
