In an ever-changing world of work and shifting resources landscape, the candidates who not only keep their skills updated, but also learn new ones are the ones that succeed. Although many employers offer both on-the-job training and the chance to take more formal qualifications, it’s still up to you to keep your skills honed and stay on top of developments in your field.
If you’re in between contracts, there’s never a better time to upskill. By continuously refining and upgrading your expertise, you’ll ensure they stay relevant for the roles you’re after, and also make you more appealing for future opportunities when you decide to look for bigger and better ones.
With the rise of free and accessible online courses, you don’t have to spend a fortune, or use up company time and budget. There are a host of timely, cost-effective, and even free ways that you can learn and grow in your own time, whether it’s from home or during your daily commute.
The job market is becoming increasingly borderless. If you’re fluent in another language, you open yourself up to new opportunities. Being able to speak another language is also a specialist skill that in many cases can attract greater demand and a much higher salary.
If formal classes aren’t your thing, try apps like Duolingo – a free and gamified language learning experience. Download it on your phone and take it with you everywhere, so when you have a spare moment, simply pick up where you left off.
You can still put your skills to good use, even if it’s not paid work. Step outside your comfort zone and adapt to unfamiliar environments. By putting yourself out there, you’ll meet new people, learn new approaches and gain new insights, all while giving something back. As an added bonus, when hiring teams match up candidates and see voluntary work on a CV, it can often be the factor that gets you the nod, as it speaks volumes about your attitude.
You can skip a whole host of steps and avoid a lot of mistakes if you learn from someone who is already where you want to be. Talk to them about how they got to where they are and what they learned along the way.
You will gain plenty of professional insight talking to somebody with more experience. You can also clarify which skills you still need to develop.
Teaching something to someone is one of the most proven ways to solidify how much you know in your own mind, and also show you where the gaps are in your knowledge. More importantly, nobody has had the same journey as you. You’ll have your own stories and life lessons and could offer a lot to somebody as their mentor. As with any growth exercise, you’ll most likely learn something about yourself, simply from listening to your mentee. Mentoring is a great way to boost your coaching and leadership skills to take that next step in your career.
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea or coffee, but the reality is that the more you put yourself out there, the more you’ll come up in conversation for that next gig. Talk to others inside and outside your industry, on and offline. Speak to people from a wide range of ages, experience levels, and backgrounds.
Live events mean you may have to fork out a little travel time and money, but you’ll get the added benefit of face-to-face interactions. This is another great way of learning from the experts and building your own know-how. Beyond the small talk, you’ll broaden your mindset, your circle of connections and your interpersonal skills, whilst learning about what life might be like outside your current circumstances.
Everyone has a podcast these days and for good reason. They’re a great way to reach audiences of people like yourself, allowing you to tune in and out when and wherever it suits you. You’ll be spoiled for choice on pretty much any subject you can think of if you do a quick Google search, but narrow it down by asking what other people recommend. Let the algorithm be your friend.
If you’re not on social media these days, you’ll find yourself missing out on more than the latest influencer posts. In today’s market, job vacancies, thought leadership pieces and networking opportunities are often posted on everything from Twitter to LinkedIn.
Build your social media profile carefully, even enlist some professional help if you must, because while that wild night on the town may have been one for the ages, it’s probably not one for your prospective employer to read about. Share your knowledge on forums and in groups on your subject matter expertise, building an online presence you’re proud of.
Whether you’re looking for a new job in the same field, a bit of an upgrade in skill sets, or even a promotion, your chances to scale the ladder of success are much higher if you take the time to help your climb. These simple yet effective methods are not only going to put you in the hunt, but significantly boost your chances of being headhunted when that next vacancy opens up.
13 Mar 2025