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Rutendo Gwatidzo-Changing Perspectives
The world is changing fast and technology is advancing quickly. Jobs are being replaced on a daily basis by technology. It is a bit scary to think of where the world is going.
One of the questions I came across the most in the past week is, “Who is going to remain employed after all the technology invented and that which is yet to be invented?
Allow me to share some of the tips that I got from other Human Capital Executives, as we were discussing the topic. To stay ahead in your career, you need to learn new skills and improve the ones you already have. This is called reskilling and upskilling.
What is Reskilling?
Reskilling simply means learning new skills – probably to switch to a different job, industry, or career path. It’s like starting fresh and learning something new.
What is Upskilling?
Upskilling simply means improving and deepening the skills you already have. It’s like taking your current skills to the next level.
Importance of Re-Skilling and Up-Skilling!
While the benefits are many, in this article I will focus on a few that are among the most important generally. If you don’t keep learning, your skills will become outdated gradually, and you’ll fall behind. This can lead to losing your job or missing out on new opportunities.
By reskilling and upskilling, you can stay relevant in your industry, unlock new opportunities, build a strong career foundation and stay confident and capable in a changing work environment.
How to Reskill and Upskill?
Check Your Industry Trends – Look at what is happening in your industry and what skills are in demand. Check against yours and see the areas you need to improve.
Identify New Skills – Find out what skills you’ll need to succeed in the future. Do not focus on today only, keep your eyes on tomorrow also in order to foresee what’s coming.
Invest in Learning – Take courses, attend conferences, or volunteer for projects that challenge your current skills. The moment you find yourself struggling, then it’s a message, it’s time to upskill or reskill. Do not be trapped in yesterday’s glory and lose tomorrow’s relevance.
Stay Proactive – Don’t wait for things to happen – take control of your career development. It’s always good to be a step ahead always. Ask yourself what if kind of questions. They will help you to stay out of the comfort zone.
Organisational Status!
One of the challenges in most organisations is that of having redundant employees whose skills have lost relevance and the situation has caused slow shutdown to many organizations.
For instance, look at what happened to Nokia Company, it was simply overtaken by technology yet at some point it used to be one of the most thriving global companies. Technology advancement is no respecter of who or which company is doing well at the moment, it advances mercilessly and leaves behind anyone and everyone who fails to upskill or reskill.
You don’t have to wait for things to get worse for you to begin upskilling or reskilling. Sadly, we had employees who waited until they got the message that retrenchment was taking place and sadly, for some, it was too late to begin to take action.
Also look at some of our very own Zimbabwe companies that used to be big at some point employing thousands of people. A good number of them got overtaken by events and downsized significantly. Others even went to the extent of closing down when they probably shouldn’t have, had they managed to foresee certain factors and plan ahead accordingly.
General Factors!
Upskilling and reskilling is a call to action for anyone and everyone who would like to stay relevant. For the same reason, continuous learning and development is key. Allow me to highlight the benefits of upskilling and reskilling again.
Future-Proof Your Career – Reskilling and upskilling help you stay ahead of the curve.
New Opportunities – You’ll have access to new roles and opportunities.
Career Resilience – You’ll be better equipped to handle changes in your industry and or area of influence.
By reskilling and upskilling, you’ll be able to thrive in a rapidly changing work environment and achieve success in your career. Be challenged, encouraged and inspired to keep upskilling and or reskilling. Avoid the last minute rush, begin now.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a Human Capital Executive as Managing Consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy. She is a Multi-Award Winning Leader, Speaker and Coach. She is also an Author of Born to Fight and Breaking the Silence books. Contact detail: 0714575805/ [email protected]/ Rutendo Gwatidzo_Official fb public page.
