No matter what industry you are in or how long you have been in the workforce, if you want to continue growing both personally and professionally, then you need to be prioritizing new skills and experiences.
Gone are the days when you can sit comfortably in your job for your entire career; instead, workers around the world need to be always improving and refining their skills and resume to remain competitive.
To help you be the best worker and job candidate you can be, read on for eight ways professionals can be better equipped for the changing market environment.
1. Develop your soft skills.
Some of the most important skills you can develop fall under the bridge of “soft skills” – skills that concern interpersonal traits that enable you to communicate and work with others effectively.
Not only are soft skills essential for developing your career, but they are also transferable skills that are relevant for any job, no matter the niche. Some of these soft skills include adaptability, communication, conflict resolution, creativity, decision making, leadership, teamwork, and time management.
Employees who develop these soft skills have higher emotional intelligence (EQ), which also correlates to better performance. For this reason, more and more employers are prioritizing employing those who are able to demonstrate these skills.
For example, being an excellent communicator means being able to clearly articulate your ideas and also knowing how to listen to other people’s opinions. Employees who are fantastic problem solvers have the skills necessary to analyze challenges and create solutions, either on their own or in a group.
Creative individuals can think outside the box to produce original ideas and solutions. This, in turn, enables them to keep an open mind as they ask questions and brainstorm potential solutions.
2. Practice self-awareness.
No matter your rank and title, if you are going to be equipped for the changing market environment, then you need to be self-aware. This means you have a distinct understanding of your strengths and your weaknesses.
Not only that, but you also recognize how your actions affect others and how their actions influence you. This leads to you acting with humility and empathy to your colleague, resulting in more productive hours at work and deeper relationships.
To reach this level of self-awareness, you need to spend time cultivating it. One of the best ways to do this is by asking for and really listening to feedback. Explain to some of your most trusted co-workers, friends, and family members that you are looking to enhance your self-awareness, and you would like them to share with you feedback about how you relate to and communicate with others. You may be surprised to find out the blind spots you have.
To keep you in check, make a list of your core values and then review them regularly. Additionally, regular journaling is a fantastic way to record your habits and to see how you actually spend your time.
Even just writing down your daily routine will present you with a clearer understanding of how you operate. From there, you can take steps to adjust and improve your lifestyle – an essential step to cultivating self-awareness.
3. Take a professional course.
Of course, in addition to enhancing your soft skills, you also want to be improving your “hard skills”. These skills are more measurable than soft skills and can be learned in classrooms, by textbooks, or through online courses.
While there may be around 30 soft skills, there are thousands of hard skills. Some examples include C# programming, marketing campaign management, and financial forecasting. While soft skills show that you would be a fantastic fit anywhere, hard skills show that you are ideal for aparticular job.
One of the best ways to improve your hard skills (or to learn new ones) is to take a professional course. Even if you have been working for years in your particular field, taking a professional course helps to keep you up-to-date with everything that is going on and exposes you to new ideas and ways of thinking. In other words, it is an effective way to be continually learning.
Moreover, taking professional courses is a surefire way of standing out from the competition. After all, employers want workers who have distinctive qualities to offer and who can provide more creative and innovative perspectives toward solutions.
Taking professional courses is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate that you are committed to always improving yourself and expanding your knowledge. For example, graduates of top project management courses will not only find themselves connected with a global network of professionals and organizations but also have a competitive edge over others in their industry, leading to better career opportunities today and tomorrow.
4. Expand your network.
Whether you are currently in your dream job or looking for a job, or are in the middle of the spectrum, you should always be taking steps to expand your network. As a professional, you should always focus on meeting new people, making new contacts, and developing strong relationships that might boost your career.
While it may seem overwhelming at first, the sooner you can begin to take all opportunities for networking, the better. If you are unsure where to start, one of the most accessible means to grow your professional network is by attending seminars, conferences or trade shows.
At these events, everyone is looking to network and meet people in their industry, so it is the perfect growth opportunity for you. Additionally, you may want to consider joining a professional organization as other members will have years of experience and connections.
Finally, use your available alumni networks – that might be high school, university, or postgraduate. There is a good chance that your school has an alumni association that hosts alumni networking events that allow you to meet professionals from diverse fields and explore new career opportunities.
Keep in mind that fellow alumni are often the most generous when it comes to giving you time and energy, so you don’t want to miss out on these opportunities.
5. Find a mentor.
Finding a professional mentor is one of the best things you can do for your professional development and career. Your mentor is an individual who shares their wisdom and expertise with you to aid you in developing your own career path. They will become your go-to person to discuss setting goals, fixing issues, and making career-related decisions.
By having a person like this in your life, you have someone who has been through similar experiences and can give you advice. Over the course of your career, you may have a variety of different mentors who voluntarily provide you with career advice and assistance.
Unfortunately, too many people miss out on having a mentor – especially in the early days of their career – because they don’t know how to find one or are too afraid to ask someone that they admire. Generally, individuals are happy to mentor younger workers as people like to be considered authority figures. Plus, humans usually like helping others.
The best way to find a mentor is first to create a list of people who seem like they might be a good fit for you and your career goals. Then, start reaching out to them and letting them know that you admire them for what they do and would love to ask them for some advice.
Send a polite and formal email to introduce yourself and be patient when waiting for their response. Once you have started a dialogue with them, you can then ask them if they would be interested in being your mentor.
Keep in mind that it may take a little while to connect with your ideal mentor. Don’t get disheartened! The right one is out there for you.
6. Foster peer relationships.
In addition to finding a mentor and expanding your professional network, you also want to spend time fostering peer relationships. This means developing professional relationships with as many people as possible in your workplace and industry – no matter how much experience they have or whether you expect to get anything out of it. Positive peer relationships are one of the most valuable things you can get out of your workplace.
Having friends at work who support and celebrate the firm’s achievements will help you feel a heightened sense of satisfaction towards your own job. As a result, you will work harder, which will cause those around you to do the same. Not only will having friends at work help to increase your job satisfaction and provide you with a built-in support network, but your peers can also act as powerful motivators. Happy employees are more productive, and when people are able to work as a team, they work collectively towards accomplishing their goals.
If you are struggling to foster these relationships at work, you might want to take the initiative. Start by introducing yourself to those you haven’t met yet and strike up small talk with those you don’t really know. Opt to eat your lunch away from your desk and with other colleagues. This is an easy way to start conversing with people without giving up your free time.
Additionally, if people organize happy hours or other work events, try to attend them. This is another fantastic opportunity to get to know your colleagues in a more informal setting.
7. Partake in job shadowing.
If you are at the beginning of your career or are looking to make a significant change, you may want to consider participating in job shadowing. When you job shadow another professional, you spend a day with them while they perform their job duties.
During this time, you can learn more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the position and the different skills that are required. You will finish the day being more informed about the daily delights and struggles of the job.
Moreover, job shadowing enables you to obtain a more in-depth insight into the company and organizational culture, while also expanding your network and helping you to make professional contacts. If you are already working or have previous experience, job shadowing is a fantastic way to learn from others’ experiences. This, in turn, provides you with a different perspective on your work and allows you to reflect on your own professional habits.
In many cases, job shadowing is an integral part of new employee onboarding as HR managers have recognized that it is an effective way to help new workers become more familiar with the organization and its operation style. Depending on the size of the company, this process may last up to a week. By dedicating this much time to job shadowing, new employees will have plenty of opportunities to learn more about different departments’ different roles and meet their colleagues.
8. Keep track of your wins.
There is no denying that it is a challenging market for professionals all over the world. As you are moving through your career, it is unlikely that it will be a straight-line. In fact, most people take a few steps forward and then one back. One of the most important things is to stay motivated and focused on your goals. Don’t take every negative thing personally.
A fantastic strategy to keep you motivated is to keep track of your wins. Whether on a weekly or monthly basis, take the time to write your wins down. For most people, this isn’t something that comes naturally; however, this practice is incredibly powerful. Not only will it help you to remember your true worth but also, over time, the wins you record will communicate a specific skill set. As you know, being aware of your skill set is crucial for navigating the changing job market.
What do you think are the most essential steps that professionals need to take to be better equipped for the changing market environment? Do you have any additional points to add to this list? Let us know your thoughts and any relevant experiences in the comments below!
