If you feel like you need a change of scene and want to land your dream job, how can you go about doing so? Upskilling is the key. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at what this is and then discuss how upskilling can help you get a better job.
What is Upskilling?
When we get started in the world of work, whether that’s after graduating from university or leaving straight from school, we all develop skills that will make us more attractive to potential employers.
These skills include getting to grips with standard office software like Word and Excel and honing our email writing talents. These abilities are key, they can help us get a foot in the door and kick-start our careers.
Once we have a good job and are comfortable in our position, it can be easy to stagnate. Time passes much more quickly than we realise, and you could find yourself years down the line with little more than the skills you started with.
In today’s world of rapid technological development, this should be avoided at all costs. If you aren’t constantly developing your skills, you could quickly find yourself left behind.
Upskilling is a term used to describe the process of improving your skills to help you in your current role or field of expertise. Often, upskilling is done on the job, with workplace training initiatives and programmes the perfect vehicle for doing so.
What’s important to note is that upskilling doesn’t mean learning totally new skills. It’s about enhancing and expanding the knowledge and experience you currently have.
How Upskilling Can Get You a Better Job
Many people assume getting a better job means totally reinventing themselves. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and it’s actually a harmful misconception that can discourage many people from developing themselves and pushing their careers forward.
If you’re looking for a total career change, then you likely will have to learn new skills. However, these kinds of career changes are relatively rare. For most people, getting a better job involves being promoted within their own company or making a switch to another position within the same industry.
Through upskilling, you will make yourself a much more attractive option for that big promotion, or you could find yourself being headhunted by a rival, better-paying company.
So, now that we know what upskilling is and how upskilling can help you get a better job, let’s discuss how you can get started and develop your professional skills and abilities.
Set Goals
The first step in your upskilling journey should be to set goals. These can be career-focused goals, such as promotion, or skill-focused goals, such as getting better at using a particular software platform.
Setting goals gives you something to work towards and will help you approach upskilling in a more structured and efficient way.
Identify Your Skill Gaps
After you have set goals for yourself, the next step is to analyse and identify your skill gaps. One simple way of doing so is by looking at listings for jobs you’d love to have. Look at the job description, is there anything in there you don’t feel confident about? That should be your upskilling starting point.
However, upskilling isn’t just about plugging gaps. It’s also about making yourself better at what you’re already good at. This involves working on all of your skills, regardless of how proficient you are, and making yourself into a better version of you.
Learn and Practice
Once you have set goals and identified your skill gaps, it’s time to get learning! Don’t rush this stage, take your time to fully absorb new information. Wherever possible, start using what you’ve learned in your current role. We often learn better through doing, and this will give you practical examples that you can highlight in any future job interviews.
Conclusion
If you feel unmotivated in your current role, you may be thinking of a change. Upskilling can help you get a better job. Improving and developing your current skills can see you land that dream promotion or secure a new role at another company. Start upskilling today and give your career the boost it needs!