Career Strategies for the Evolving Job Market
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In today’s rapidly changing work environment, many people are finding their skills become obsolete long before they reach retirement age. New technologies, redesigned business processes and mergers/acquisitions are among many factors that are constantly changing the world of work. That’s why it’s up to you to regularly assess whether your skills are up to date.
Succeeding in the world of work means taking your career into your own hands. It also means adapting your skills to suit the jobs that are available today, as well as those that will be available in the future. By equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skills through work experience and training, you’ll be able to choose which organization to work for and demand an excellent salary, benefits and more. But, what do you need to do to become and remain an ideal job candidate?
We’ve been hearing for many years that, in the future, people will have several different jobs even careers in the course of their working lives. This trend is growing stronger. Until recently, individuals believed that the qualifications, skills and experience they brought to a job would last them for years. This is simply no longer true. The skills that individuals start their careers with aren’t sufficient for the long run. Instead, they will need to periodically refresh and develop these skills throughout their careers. Continuous skills development and training, better known as lifelong learning, is the order of the day if you want to remain relevant and valued throughout your career.
Such lifelong learning could entail developing an entirely new set of skills. In fact, as many low-skill routine jobs are eliminated, skills that were once in demand are rapidly becoming obsolete. For example, a Webmaster was a pretty hot job not so long ago. But now, as off-the-shelf software programs have made it possible for almost anyone to create a Web site, the market for those skills is significantly lower. It’s quite scary for individuals to find that they are less attractive and less valued by employers than just 12 months earlier.
The key is to continuously assess your current skills, experience, knowledge and training and identify potential alternative career paths that you can pursue if your current role becomes obsolete. You can then make plans to prepare for those careers and make a quick transition should it become necessary.
You can do this is by identifying which positions are in demand within your company or industry and managing your own development with one of these positions in mind. Being adaptable and willing to work outside of your traditional role in an organization is a strong asset in today’s labor market.
Quite frankly, it is up to you to take advantage of training opportunities that are offered. Actively seeking out training that complements and extends existing knowledge is the best approach. Consider this: pilots need to continuously refresh their knowledge in flight simulators; accountants must sit for additional financial exams to bring added value to clients; and bank tellers need to take customer service courses to improve customer interaction and sales. The same should be true for every job category.
Don’t put off managing your own career. Now is the time take action and make yourself a desired candidate for both the current and future world of work. With the growing talent shortage that is affecting employers today, there is a market for capable people who can improve productivity and effectively help organizations beat the competition. Those who take control of their career paths and ensure they are constantly learning and refreshing in-demand skills will ensure their continued career success and viability long into the future.
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