It’s safe to say that technological advancements have played a critical role in the increasingly competitive job market. To keep pace with innovation, companies now look for employees with certain skill sets to help them navigate and succeed in the growing digital economy. They do this by investing in upskilling initiatives to help employees adjust to new business trends and workplace changes.
In Singapore, young professionals go to great lengths to land a successful career. Graduates of the Institute of Technical Education enroll in work-study programs to gain a head start on their careers while pursuing a nationally recognized diploma. Through the workplace training program, they can enjoy full employee benefits, a stable income, full training sponsorship, and a definite career pathway.
Developing a career in your chosen field is something most of us aspire. But in many cases, experience alone isn’t enough when employers look for workers with great potential to be promoted. By taking further training, you’re paving the way for more career opportunities. You can enroll in part-time courses for upgrading skills and study and work at the same time.
The problem with skills development is that employees overlook its importance once they finish school. They get too absorbed with their daily work responsibilities, which leads to missed career opportunities. Given the role of skills development in one’s profession, we’ll take a deeper look at how it affects a person’s employment opportunities and as the key to personal growth.
Stay updated with the latest industry trends
To thrive in the ever-competitive business world, you need to find and develop strategies to keep pace with the challenges and constant changes. It’s hard when you’re missing essential skills in your job. It’s like seeing everyone enjoying their new smartphone while you’re still settling with your old device. Updating your skills in response to the changing trends will build your confidence and credibility whatever trends and changes the current market will bring.
If you’re eyeing a promotion, having the skills and knowledge about industry trends will provide you an edge against your competitors. In turn, this will leave a great impression on your employers, especially if your updated skill sets match the requirements of the new role. You can also make succession planning easier by preventing your employer from hiring outside the company. This will reduce knowledge gaps caused by turnover and outside recruitment.
Be future-ready
Technology is moving faster than ever. Digital tools are becoming obsolete very quickly, while new technology gets introduced every few months. To stay competitive and relevant, you have to reskill yourself by learning how to use the latest technology tools. If you end up in the technological void, you’ll likely get stuck in a redundant career.
For instance, the rise of online shopping has greatly affected retail businesses in terms of profit and customer flow. As more people recognize the benefits of shopping online, retailers are responding by complementing their physical establishments with e-commerce platforms. This way, retailers can now reach more customers and increase income potential.
Even if you have a professional website developer to build your online store, additional knowledge in website management will come in handy once the website goes live. After all, your developer won’t always be available 24/7. You can also apply those technical skills when handling customer inquiries, particularly in checking out items and payment systems.
Expand income sources
Developing or increasing your skills is a great opportunity to open up other income avenues. You can market your expertise and skills and establish an alternative career. A great tip is to develop in-demand technical skills and widen your scope to diversify your customer base.
This technique applies to corporate employees who have a lot of extra time in their hands. Instead of wasting time on less productive activities, why not do a freelance gig during your free time? What’s great about freelancing is you can work and earn online. Some popular freelancing gigs include writing, video editing, programming, website design, graphic designer, and business consultation.
Explore job opportunities
Do you ever feel stuck in your job but you don’t have the right skills to try other opportunities? Invest in your skills development, and you’ll be surprised about the job opportunities that await you.
Most employees today are struggling at work because of burnout and routine roles. Once you have the right skills, it’s easy to explore career options and go head to head against other competitive candidates.
Developing new skills doesn’t happen overnight, but it makes a worthwhile investment. Investing money and time in your skills development brings plenty of corporate benefits for your career and personal growth. Equipping yourself with the right skills will put you in a better position to handle the increasing role of technology, demographic shifts, and globalization and adapt to the changing skill and work demands.