Building Your Career Capital
Jobs are changing, even if you’re not changing jobs
According to a recent LinkedIn Skillset Report (p3) “Jobs are changing, even if you’re not changing jobs. And they are doing so at an increasing rate, accelerated by the pandemic. Upkeeping your skills thus has emerged as a key to staying relevant in your current role, landing a new role, and skills are front and center for all hiring managers searching for the right candidate.”
In a recent Encore Boston survey, lack of up-to-date skills and the resulting lack of confidence were high on the list of 50 plus workers looking for their next position.
As we shift from pedigree driven to skills driven hiring, more than ever, workers need to take responsibility for keeping their skillset up to date.
It you’ve found yourself in a prolonged work transition due to COVID-19 or other economic market shifts your need for upskilling is even more critical.
If you can relate, you’re not alone.
There are small steps you can take this summer to reengage with and upgrade your skills.
Now is an ideal time to create a learning project focused on upskilling an aspect of your career toolkit that can make a difference in your marketability and your self-confidence.
Keep it simple. Up front planning is crucial. We recommend breaking it into five steps:
1. Identifying a skill to improve.
2. Design a learning sprint.
3. Implement your learning program.
4. Document & demonstrate your skillset.
5. Evaluate and adapt your program based on feedback to keep your momentum.
If you work best on a team and with some structure, keep this in mind as you design your learning program. You know the types of learning environments that have worked for you in the past. Incorporate them in your program.
For best results, narrow the scope. Keep the time constraints realistic. Have clear learning milestones for each week and limit your initial learning project to 4-6 weeks.
Happy and continual learning!
Resources
In choosing your next upskilling learning project you may find Tom McDonough’s three-part series Communicating Your Value-added relevant.
About The Author
Tom McDonough, a career and life coach, is director of programs and founding Board member for the Institute for Career Transitions. Though his career story has allowed him to experience many roles, the underlying theme is helping colleagues clarify and align personal and career goals with their core values.
