How Important is it to Upskill?
What is Upskilling?
Upskill, This buzzword refers to the type of continuous learning to improve your career, whether it’s climbing the ladder at your current organization or moving on to an entirely new career. Upskilling is upgrading by learning new skills and enhancing competencies. In the age of increasing automation and changing business processes and priorities, upskilling is taking on new urgency.
Though Automation has taken away many jobs, it has also created new jobs requiring new roles requiring new skills.
Technology: The Drivers of change
Technology is the biggest driver of change as everyday new technology, innovation, regulation, system and the most in-demand skills shift. The skills that employers are looking for today are no longer the same skills of last year, and in many industries, this has created a significant skills gap. Now, more than ever before, employees and leaders need to stay ahead of change.
Although technology is one of the biggest stimulants for change, ultimately the impact of this change is human. As machines take up our workplace, we’re left to explore the unique skills that set us apart as people. This change proves that lifelong learning and the need to upskill have become critical to individuals and organizations alike.
Why should I Upskill?
In the current scenario, especially in the Indian marketplace, the unemployment rate is very high, though there are a good number of opportunities, there aren’t enough skilled people to fill in. This Gap is famously termed as Skill Gap where there is a visible gap between a number of vacancies that require new skills and the availability of candidates in the required skills.
It is important to keep your skills up to date and boost your qualifications. Upskilling yourself to meet up the demands of the current skills makes you more valuable to your employer and therefore provides you with more Job security, Increases your job satisfaction
The Shifting Nature of Jobs:
Technology Changes are affecting every organization and nearly every employee these days. Those jobs that did not require strong technical abilities a couple of years ago must now use various technology tools as part of their everyday tasks. Training people with digital business skills is not just a priority in IT but across the organization.
Evolve for the Future:
Change is inevitable, so are the changes in the world of technology and automation. We will have to do continuous learning to keep up with the latest technology. With the future of jobs shifting every day, individuals will have to build and maintain a sustainable skill set that ensures they are keeping up with the future. The professionals who learn to adapt, evolve and drive the change will be the ones leading the future of work
How to upskill and stay ahead of the curve.
Know your interests:
Don’t just jump into any sessions that are trending or someone signed you up for it. Along with figuring out what you want to learn, ask yourself why. Who knows, you may figure out an entirely new career too when you try to explore the “Why” part. I recently watched an old series, in which one of the main characters always makes a pro-con list whenever there is a decision to make. You can try to do the same if you have multiple options.
Find your way of learning:
Every person is different. There are people who would like to learn at their own pace, some may need strict rules and deadlines to make it work or you may have an entirely different way of having things done. Try to find your way of learning and make plans accordingly.
Fuel your motivation:
It’s natural to feel demotivated along the path of learning. Define a study routine. Always plan your learning with intermediate and final goals, this will help you keep motivated. There is no single strategy that will work for everyone to feel motivated. Explore the strategy that will work for you. Don’t hesitate to take a break when you feel like it, but make sure you come back to your routine.
The bottom line is:
Upskilling yourself can cost money, but they are going to pay off with a strong ROI. Contributing just a few hours a day to learning will bring in a major boost for your career, be it hunting for a new job or excelling in your current one.
Author: Sneha Sukumaran
