Upskilling/Reskilling Yourself for Career Success

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the “upskilling” trend in which employers retrain/reskill employees they feel are lacking the skills the company needs to succeed in a high-tech future.

The employer wins because it takes valued, loyal employees and provides them with valuable skills: there’s no need to let the person go and search for a replacement/someone with the needed skills.

The team member wins, too, of course: new skills at (probably) no cost, a pay raise because of the new skill (probably). And, a new skill he or she can take elsewhere should the need arise.

Yet employees also tend to stick around when reskilled/upskilled: nine of 10 employees say they would stay at their companies longer if the company invested in helping them learn/gain new skills.

Yet you shouldn’t wait for your employer to offer you this type of training: you should go out and seek it yourself. Regularly.

Why?

As an April Forbes.com article put it: “[r]apid advancements in technology, changing industry dynamics and increasing demands for specialized skills have all made upskilling a necessary component of career success.”

Technology is evolving at lightning speed today, with industries undergoing constant transformation. Upskilling/reskilling are becoming the life jackets in the vast sea of professional growth.

Or, to put it another way: learn new skills regularly or watch your career opportunities – if not even actual jobs – pass you by.

New software, tools, automation, and even advances in artificial intelligence are popping up every day, revolutionizing industries across the board. Skills that once were in high demand have gone the proverbial way of the dodo: to extinction.

You risk becoming outdated and obsolete by keeping your head down and ignoring the need for upskilling/reskilling.

Today’s job market is highly competitive: employers constantly seek out candidates with the latest knowledge and expertise.

Continuously honing your skills increases your value to employers

Yes, you offer more skills, but there’s something else about you that’s attractive: your proven willingness to adapt and learn new things. You also exhibit dedication to professional growth, a quality employers tend to value.

You also future-proof your career. Rather than becoming a victim of automation or economic shifts, your adaptability allows you to thrive in just about any circumstance.

The right skills coupled with the right attitude will help you transition to new roles or even new industries.

Upskilling/reskilling on your own.

If you’ve decided to learn more skills on your time (and probably your own dime), take a look at your current skills, and then do some research into skills employers are now looking for that could be a good segue for you to upskill/reskill to.

For example: let’s say you’re a marketer who sees that more and more data is going to be used to help companies market their products.

Yet your marketing skills are more on the creative side than the data side.

You see that your company is more and more looking for data scientists. You have some experience in marketing analytics, yet because you see the growth – and demand for – marketing data scientists, you know you’ll need to up your game into deeper data analytics.

Classes/training in data analysis, business analytics could be in your future.  There are many such courses available at your local colleges. Many online programs also exist: just do a Google search and just watch what pops up. Some may be free.

You also could attend workshops, join professional communities that focus on the skills you wish to enhance.

In other words, don’t be shy about continuous learning. Be bold and make it a point to explore new areas of expertise.

Remember: change – it could be argued – is more “constant” than ever. Those who prepare for it are the ones who flourish.

Aim to look at upskilling/reskilling as something you’ll take on throughout your career. The more you invest in yourself, the greater your chances of staying relevant – and employable.

As you make your way through your career, keep Dexian at the top of your mind: we can help you take your upskilled/reskilled talents to the next level of career success.

 In fact, you can upskill your coding and data abilities with us, via our Grand Circus division.

 More importantly, our Grand Circus offerings are bootcamps. You receive hands-on training from experts in the field you choose.

Why are bootcamps such as those we offer best?

Because unlike teach-yourself options, Grand Circus helps you break through learning walls and combat imposter syndrome. Possibly most important, we hold you accountable to a timeline.

For example, as mentioned above, if you’re interested in data analytics, Grand Circus has a Data Analytics & Engineering with Python bootcamp.

More than 2,500 of our graduates have changed their lives by upgrading/learning in-demand technology skills via our virtual coding bootcamps. In fact, more than 90 percent of our grads have landed jobs right after they completed our boot camps!

 Grand Circus offers one-on-one career coaching and support as a part of our personal student experience, which includes tutors, live/interactive classes, code coaches, alumni mentors, and more.

Our graduates have been hired by 400-plus companies, including Amazon, General Motors, State Farm, and more.

Learn more via Grand Circus itself.

If you are looking for your next opportunity in tech and business,  check out Dexian’s latest opportunities with the world’s top tech and Fortune 500 companies.