Most employees think that continuous learning is the employer’s responsibility. The truth is, employees should also play an active role in upskilling themselves, especially in a world where skills and talents have become valuable commodities.
In Singapore, fresh graduates are taking the initiative to develop their competencies and build a clear career path. They enroll to skillsfuture courses to earn valuable work experience and job training from experts and practitioners.
Given the importance of upskilling in the ever-competitive job market, it’s worth discussing how upskilling promotes professional development. With that in mind, here are reasons why you should make upskilling a priority.
Improves competency
Learning doesn’t stop after leaving college. Your academic knowledge is only a foundation on which you will establish building blocks of the skills and knowledge you’ll acquire for the rest of your career.
Modern technology has continued to revolutionize the workplace, pushing the boundaries of how organizations operate. This puts significant pressure on companies and employees to update their knowledge and technical skills to enable them to undertake new and different tasks and transition to IT technologies and systems easier. In turn, companies that know how to use their digital solutions effectively are more likely to outperform competitors that struggle to embrace new technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of upskilling employees. Amid the remote work setup, the global crisis has driven people to maximize their full potential and take on new tasks to help their company look for new ways to address their customers’ immediate problems.
Through upskilling, you become actively updated on the latest industry trends to improve the quality of your performance. You’re not just an employee who just shows up to work, but someone who plays an active role in making yourself more valuable to your company.
Boosts employability
If there’s one word that accurately describes the current job market, it would be “unpredictable”. Trust is that no position, industry, or company offers 100% assurance in employability. You can always end up jobless if the company decides to replace you with another candidate whose current skill set is much better than yours.
Companies look for applicants who are versatile and well-trained. Investing in learning and development can be costly, so hiring someone with various desired skill sets has a competitive advantage over those who offer less.
Effective upskilling helps you develop different skills in various areas, which eases the transition to a new profession, company, or career altogether. Listing all your additional capabilities and previous training shows your future employer’s initiative and commitment to continuous learning, which further boosts your value as an employee.
Opens new career opportunities
After leaving college, you’re set to find new opportunities to help you land a promising career. Too often, these chances seldom appear to individuals who aren’t actively seeking them. Those who invest time in developing their skills in their chosen industry are more likely to access resources and mentors to help explore a variety of potential job opportunities they can easily grab on.
You never know which path your knowledge can take you when learning skills. In fact, some even end up taking a career path they never considered before. You may also discover new passions you never realized to are interested in. If you think you’re stuck in a dead-end job, upskilling can help you uncover a new profession you really love and excite you. The ideal career is something you’re actually good at with a commitment to explore it further.
Upskilling won’t only benefit your professional growth but also for personal development. Having the initiative to discover new opportunities to explore other roles provides you with more satisfaction and enjoyment in life.
Provides networking opportunities
Aside from improving your qualifications, upskilling opens up a world filled with like-minded individuals on the same career path as you. Networking is an effective way to leverage your career, and upskilling offers many opportunities to make meaningful connections.
By taking seminars, classes, and training courses, you can meet more people who will support and inspire you as you progress in your career. You can also find mentors along the way who will increase your exposure to new and different perspectives. Whoever you meet along the way, upskilling will surely improve your list of valuable connections.
Upskilling isn’t just about acquiring new skills, but its benefits can go far beyond simply learning. It can open several doors outside and inside your current industry, which offers many opportunities for career advancement. As the world continues to face uncertainty, you’re also building your resilience as digitization continues to challenge the job market. In the end, this is a wake-up call for all workers out there to find more learning opportunities to enrich their professional and personal lives.
