Preparing for change - how to develop your personal/professional plan for future career success

Published date: January 14, 2022

Thanks to automation and digitisation of the workplace as we know it, many employees now work remotely - and we often see entire companies leave behind their office space and move entirely online. As a result of that, every employee needs to adapt to the demands of their workplace in order to remain relevant and useful to the company.

 You may think that this sounds like a lot. And that’s because it is!

 In fact, there is a large chunk of the population who are left confused and overwhelmed with all these workplace changes going around. And in some instances, employees can feel like their jobs are put at risk whenever these changes happen as they don’t necessarily have the skillset to do their job from a place other than their office.

 That leaves us with one question - is there a way to secure and future-proof your career?

 We believe so, and that is called professional development. It’s also sometimes referred to as upskilling, and it’s currently one of the most important terms you’ll need to pay attention to if you want to remain employable within your field.

Why is ongoing professional development important when considering moving jobs?

Professional development and upskilling yourself are all about adding new skills to your repertoire. In the ever-changing work environment, those who can’t keep up and learn the ropes of new technology and methods of working will be left behind. So, to keep yourself from becoming irrelevant in the workplace, you need to start developing and adding to your own skillset.

 It can be hard and it can be complicated, but it is absolutely necessary. And here is why:

It’s Important For Career Progression

The modern work landscape is much different from what most of us are used to. Currently, new technology is being introduced seemingly by the day and if you don’t keep up, you risk losing your future employability. For example, the programming languages used as recently as five years ago are irrelevant now, or at best, they have taken on a new identity.

And this doesn’t just happen in the world of information technology. Every single profession is evolving as technology progresses, and if you want to get ahead of your colleagues, you need to keep your skills up to date as well.

It Opens a World of New Opportunities

When you add skills to your repertoire, more and more opportunities will come your way. After all, the more you can do, the more attractive you are to employers, recruiters, and companies. Whether you’re looking to change your job and career path or widen the opportunities that come your way, upskilling is a great way to do that.

It Will Future-Proof Your Career

Automation is sweeping many different professions worldwide, making some jobs obsolete while also creating more jobs in different fields. It’s not a matter of if automation will come to your field, but rather when that is going to happen. The speed at which technology grows nowadays is faster than it ever has been, and if you don’t want automation to replace you in the future, make sure to start upskilling as soon as possible.

Let’s Get Started! - Developing A Personal Plan To Upskilling Yourself

So, now that you understand why you need to upskill yourself, you may be wondering what you should do next. Well, we live in the age of the internet and technology, so learning and acquiring new skills is easier than ever.

 Here are a few ways you can start upskilling yourself today:

Participate In Online Events & Conferences

In this day and age, it is crucial for you to leverage the internet so you can learn and upskill yourself. Whether you decide to take on educational courses or participate in online events and conferences, it’s all going to be extremely beneficial to your career progression and keeping yourself employable in the future.

Listen to Career Podcasts

Not all of us have the time to sit through long and drawn-out conferences and classes. So, how can you start upskilling without having to commit hours from your day? There are tons of people nowadays learning new skills through career podcasts.

 Since these are readily-available audio files that you can find on streaming platforms on the internet, you don’t need to search far and wide for them. On top of that, you can even listen to these podcasts and take in the information while doing other things such as cleaning, driving to work, or even when taking your morning walk.

Gain Exposure & Collect Work Experience

While lectures and podcasts are great, exposure and experience are still the best teachers you will ever have. So, if an opportunity falls on your lap to gain more experience and knowledge, make sure to take it if it’s relevant.

 That way, you can learn the ropes first-hand while also widening your network of contacts. Experience and exposure will always be more valuable and impressive to employers than a piece of paper. So, if you’re looking to upskill yourself and increase your employability, going out of your way to gain more experiences is a great way to keep yourself relevant.

Looking For Your Next Career Move?

If you’ve already updated your CV and have begun the process of upskilling yourself, it’s time to start searching for a job, which is where we come in.

 At Cooper Lomaz, we are dedicated to helping people out through the entire employment and recruitment process.

On our website, you can search jobs and opportunities that are ready to be filled. Check them out, and if you find something relevant, don’t hesitate to shoot your shot. You never know what exciting opportunity might present itself in front of you.