In today’s data-driven world of work, conventional job skills no longer complement each other. Many employees and organizations are falling behind on performance due to skill gaps.

The McKinsey survey states that over 40% of the organization has an urgent priority to upskill and consider it crucial for the overall business success.

You can position yourself as a top talent and access high-potential opportunities by upskilling. Knowing your aims will keep you motivated towards advancing your career. Here we have 3 powerful ways that will help you advance your career.

1. Identify your Knowledge Gaps

Without knowing what skills you need, it’s hard to figure out what to learn. List down the areas you are strong at and gaps you would like to fill within or beyond your job profile. Ask yourself why and what you want to accomplish with your newfound skills. Maybe you want to improve performance in your current job, boost employability, or want handsome increments.

With so many online courses and learning resources available, identifying your knowledge gaps will not only help you build upon your current skills but also feel more confident about your learning choices.

2. Create a Career Development Plan

To keep the momentum going and the skills sharp, you need to have a plan. Sure, it’s easy to think about learning something new or taking a course here and there, but it’s imperative to have a strategy.

Developing a strategic career development plan will help you determine how much time you need to dedicate towards developing those skills and which ones might be most important for your career.

To create a career development plan, try answering these questions:

– What skills do I want to develop?

– What is my motivation for building these skills?

– What am I hoping this will do for my career?

– How much time am I willing to spend on learning each month?

– What can I do to make sure that I learn it effectively?

3. Upskill and Reskill: The Dynamic Duo

Yes, you heard it right. Incorporating both learning new skills and playing with already earned skills is the magical key to opening doors to new opportunities. Learning takes time, dedication, and constant application. This will enable you to stay on top of the industry trends and have efficient tools at your disposal.

Additionally, it can lead to enhanced performance and bring you a positive return on investment at work. The time is always right to use those new skills. Start with low-risk ways to test them out and expand your role at work. Over time, if you successfully demonstrate your new skills, you might be able to negotiate a promotion or raise. 

How Can You Effectively Upskill/Reskill?

It is always a good idea to do some extra training and certifications alongside work. Taking up online courses and mock exams can help you stay up to date on the latest breakthroughs and brush up on your exam preparations.

Certifications Made Easy (CME) can bring you closer to your career goals with effective certification exam prep. A platform that lets you take advantage of mock exams and practice questions for professional certifications courses without having you pay a penny.

Expand your knowledge with subject-matter expert resources, do the prep for the certification exam, and find the best professional trainer in town all in one place. We cover certifications across project management, IT service management, and cloud services. Look here to find out more certifications.

To the New Beginnings!

Think about it, you have the well-paid skillsets perfected with time and you’ve been doing your best to advance your career.

But here’s where reality hits you: you’re not going to get where you want to be if you don’t make changes. So, try identifying your skill gaps, create a futuristic plan, constantly upskill & reskill when necessary, and most importantly stay adaptive.

You need to ensure your skills and knowledge are up to date with the concurrent changes in the business world. As technology advances, skill sets will always change. In an interview with Forbes, Cameron Herold believes that successful people have “mastered one area of expertise but have also mastered a skill set.”

Being flexible means having a diverse range of skills so you can adapt to the current and be ready for what’s next. The good news is that there are many opportunities for you to upskill, take the step towards building the dream career transformation now! Start prepping for your certification exams right here and become a certified professional.

We wish you all the best!