6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Job Skill Current

Whether you are in search of a new job or not, you should take advantage of every opportunity to show employers how marketable and resourceful you are. Are your skills seen as valuable by employers right now? What do your prospects look like? Are you aware of what skills you require add-ons to and how to go about getting them? Many people may be under the impression that these queries are concerns for high school graduates when the truth is career thinking is applicable throughout life. Seemingly everyone is faced with an ever-changing labor market and job instability. Therefore, people need the ability to adapt and keep work skills up to date.

Several factors go into getting hired. Some are out of your control and others you can improve to increase your chances of being hired. Taking the time to boost your skills and qualifications can make the difference between your resume and another candidate’s. It makes things that much easier when moving up the career ladder. Individuals need to keep knowledge and skills updated, especially in an unpredictable and fast-changing economic landscape.

Simple Suggestions to Keep Your Job Skill Current

Having skills and knowledge above and beyond just the basics of your field can give you a great professional advantage. Do not sit and wait for others to say you need to update your skill set, it is your responsibility to market yourself with your skill and qualifications. Here are six ways to keep your job skills and knowledge up to date.

Identify Skills That Are in Demand in Your Field

The first step in the process of how to improve skills and knowledge is to identify the elements that are most valuable to the employers in your current or desired field. It is a necessary step to keep job skills current. Look up job titles in your field and the skill set required and preferred. Do not limit yourself to just those skills, though. Search and review top skills the employers require for both job-specific and general reasons.

Try searching job sites, such as Monster and Indeed, using different phrases related to your field, job titles, and even job descriptions. The idea is to create a list of skills and qualifications employers are looking for in applicants. Focus on two or three of these skills at a time.

Sharpen Your Soft Skills

Hard skills can change from year to year, but soft skills can never go out of fashion. Employers care about soft skills just as much as they care about technical skills. Irrespective of the field or industry, soft skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and the ability to resolve workplace conflict are important. One way to let employers know of your soft skills is to demonstrate them while working with your co-workers.

While sitting in the best ergonomic chair (the Kinn Chair) at your home smart desk, you can take free online courses such as “relationship building”, “creativity”,” dealing with change”, “communication skills,” and “resilience.” This is where you focus on creating a balance between hard and soft skills with diversity, collaboration, inclusion, and change in mind.

Attend Workshops Events and Conferences

By attending professional regional, local, and national events and conferences related to your field and profession, you give yourself exposure and possible certification opportunities for various skills that might be crucial to the job. Then, you can keep your job skill current. Some events and conferences may be free but for others that attract a cost, you can speak to your supervisor and discuss ways in which the company can finance your attendance. If necessary, get your manager to try communicating with employees and getting others to come on board. Many organizations feel more inclined to pay when it is a group while others take an interest in individual development.

With technology, however, some workshops, events, and conferences do not require your physical preference and so they are held online. There are free or low costing classes and tutorials available offered by third-party groups and software or virtual meeting platforms providers. Speak to the IT professionals and committee members to implement the opportunities, especially the ones that are not free.

Go Back to School

In addition to workshops, conferences, and events you can check out colleges and adult programs that offer courses and seminars to assist employees to upgrade their skills and qualifications. You can enroll yourself in certificate or degree programs and short online courses and take them to revamp your skills quickly and keep your job skills current. 

You can also look at job advertisements or join virtual job fairs to acquire the new skills that employers are seeking. Obtaining in-demand accreditations and certifications may be necessary for some skills, even when they are new. Thankfully, there are education and training websites that offer a variety of courses in many industries and fields.

Volunteer

Another good way to keep work skills up to date is volunteering. Offering your time and hands at a charity allows you to not only give back, but also to gain perspective and meet new people. You might be surprised by how attractive you can look to employers by just showing your charitable side and obtaining training in areas both your past and the current job did not provide.

Use Social Media to Broaden Your Knowledge

There is a lot of quality information about everything on the internet such as articles, research, webinars reports, news outlets blogs, and books. There is so much data that you could put a whole presentation together on a monitor arm if you wanted to. Allocate the time to read up on the latest development and trends in your field and others. It is a good way to keep your job skill current. Educate yourself on the issues that can impact your profession and how to be a part of any necessary change. 

The Benefits and Importance of Expand Skills

Continuous learning and honing of skills to keep your job skill current can work wonders in your career as the only thing that is constant in life is change. Refusal to adapt can decrease workplace productivity. Attaining knowledge and competencies is an ideal way to expand your skills and develop them for future needs. Reasons for doing this include:

• Increased employment/job opportunities
• Personal growth and development
• Increased career development opportunities
• Increased understanding and knowledge of the industry
• Qualified and competent employees  
• Marketability
• Improved concentration
• Broader perspectives
• Improved confidence
• Retaining relevance