You’ve just finished learning to use the newest version of ChatGPT. You have aced chain prompting, GPT Search, custom GPTs and reasoning queries with panache. You also just heard about OpenAI releasing another new model with a shiny new image generator flooding the internet with Ghibli-styled images. You’ll now have to remount the training wheel to get skilled on the hottest new AI feature.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Employees across the globe are grappling with an evolving and ruthless job market, ready to pounce on the ones left behind. A WEF report states that 94% of business leaders expect their employees to learn new skills in the next four years. It seems like these days, upskilling and reskilling are not ways to stand out from the crowd but rather a means to survive.
While survival could be a great motivator, upskilling has other compelling reasons, too. You can get paid more. Employees at Amazon who opted for an upskilling program saw their pay rise by up to 40% in the next year. You also have the opportunity to learn new skills for free, as many employers take up the entire cost of such skill-building programs. You could also do more with less. Being highly proficient in a particular domain can improve your productivity and enhance your familiarity with the necessary tools.
The article from this point will give step-by-step guidance on how to make the most of your professional life and be a whiz at upskilling/reskilling your skills.
Find a Niche
You’re most likely working in a particular domain as either a generalist or a specialist. A generalist would know the fundamentals of all the areas of their field and be good at juggling tasks and prioritizing deadlines.
For a generalist, it makes more sense to prioritize breadth over depth. The focus should be on being a jack of all trades and a master of none due to the wider remit of the job. Generalists should look to build a solid core of soft skills like collaboration, interpersonal communication, leadership, and public speaking for quicker adaptability in different roles and circumstances. Look to strengthen your tech and digital fluency across the board for a wide collection of tools and applications, and get comfortable with AI tools in different use cases and workflows.
Specialists would have a completely different set of requirements. The focus would be on targeting depth rather than building breadth of skills. Due to this, specialists double down on a particular domain and go all in. The need to stay updated with the latest trends and insights would be much greater in this case. Getting recognized or accredited qualifications would also serve them well in the long run. In some cases, upskilling can also mean being in the loop and staying abreast of recent industry developments. Such constant monitoring can also help professionals in keeping their skills up to date.
Assess Current Skills Level
After zeroing in on the skills you want to level up on, gauging your current level of expertise could help ascertain the best course of action. For instance, a coder good at Python but a novice at handling huge data sets might start by testing their ability to optimize code performance. This could involve tinkering with parallel processing libraries like Dask or exploring GPU acceleration to speed up computations. Such a focused approach would help reduce chinks in the armor.
Assess the Options
In today’s age of content overload, there are plenty of options in the market for working professionals looking to boost their arsenal of skills. A more formal approach would be enrolling in Rockhurst University online programs or other similar courses to obtain advanced qualifications.
Advanced qualifications could be a great fit for hard or technical skills, as formal accreditation would cement the claims of proficiency. You could also approach your employer via the HR department to see if they are willing to sponsor any specific programs. Some companies also set up their own training programs, so gunning for those would be an easy choice. For those constrained by time, MOOCs are a great way to learn things online at your own convenience, time, and place.
Seek Mentorship
Never shy away from asking for help. Seeking the guidance of industry veterans or seniors at your workplace could open your eyes to new possibilities. Your mentor could give you practical tips on how to juggle work and upskilling, and also recommend courses or programs that they have tried. Beyond one-to-one mentoring, looking out for relevant LinkedIn groups, local meetups, or industry Slack channels could also help you connect with other like-minded individuals.
Track Progress
It is important to be cognizant of your progress and keep religiously tackling the same. You could make use of templates to make such tasks less cumbersome. Seeing your own progress would also develop intrinsic motivation, which would propel you forward in moments when you feel lazy or tired.
Upskilling as well as reskilling could be a highly rewarding journey. The financial, productivity, and mental benefits are off the charts. Having a disciplined and resilient approach will help you stay the course and snowball your efforts into something substantial. Finding a specific niche and determining your current level of skills would be a great starting point. After that, it is all about picking the right option, having a solid mentor by your side, and scrupulously tracking your progress.
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