Skills that you need to pick to stay in tune with the changing times
Ever had a moment where you just let your mind drift and introspect on the possibilities of your skills being relevant or what skills to pick up to stay in the game. Can be nerve-jangling at times, given the fast-paced dynamism of skill relevance in our day and era.
As the Latin adage goes, “tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis” - which translates to “Times change, and we change with them”. The adage which was framed in the mid-16 century, transcends time and remains relevant.
Summing the proverb with regards to skill development: time will keep bringing about changes - like automation in our era, and you have to keep pace by learning, adapting and developing your competence to stay ahead of it.
Skill development can be a tricky space, as you don’t know which skill can lose steam and which will create maximum return in the long run. However, enhancing even a few skills and adding them to your repertoire is always an added advantage. Even headhunters prefer hiring t-shaped personalities: who are versatile work hands and relish adding new skills and abilities to their professional arsenal.
With that said, let’s focus on the skillset or fields you can expand your horizon onto.
Online marketing
Online marketing has been ruling the roost over conventional marketing post the digitisation, with brands - major and minor - jumping onto the bandwagon. Still in its nascency, digital marketing is an open-for-all field. So its relevance isn’t limited to a marketer, even content writers, techies, and anyone in the media field can learn the basic and pick it up as you go. All you need to understand are the trends and how brands maneuver search engines like Google and social media hubs such as Facebook and Twitter.
Both Google and Facebook, have certification courses that you can take up to enhance your overall portfolio.
Coding
As the world inches towards automation, coding is your best bet at a world which would be heavily-dependent on computer language. With an array of online tutorials and apps to guide you through the basics and keep you in touch with language updations, you literally have everything on your fingertips.
The scope and landscape is an ever-evolving phenomena, so once you immerse yourself in code development, it becomes more than a means to earn, and a learning experience. So a starter you can brush up your HTML, as for an intermediate level you can check out Java or C++, depending upon where you see the industry heading. Head over to CodeChef, Udemy, Codeacademy & IDE Beta
Language
Learning a new language is always tough, but it pays off tremendously especially if you’re working in a multinational organization. Suppose, the Spain branch of your office needs assistance with a project and wish to get someone from your office onboard. Now, in this hypothesis if you were equipped with Spanish, who do you think lands the lucrative project.
So why while your time away in commute sitting idle and spacing out, when you can subscribe to a plethora of free apps and services that can teach you how to speak French, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), etc.
Management
Thought you deserved that last promotion, but were skipped over even though you have had enough experience. Maybe it had to do with your lack of qualifications. Well, management courses are available left, right and centre, you just need to focus on which is tailor-made for your growth. Learning basic management skills can help you in negotiations, designing products, and managing teams, which can elevate your skillsets and chances in the corporate setting.
These are some ever-green skillsets that will stay relevant going forward, but remember they’d only work in tandem with the field you wish to thrive. It’s a great thing to create new value by learning new skills and even though there are multiple challenges, a little bit of elbow grease now will help you sustain your position in the near future.
