By Paul Lewis, Managing Director, Pitman Training…
The beginning of 2022 is the perfect time to focus on both your personal and professional development. Over the past two years, people have had plenty of free time to evaluate their career choices and decide what they want from life. So, if you are thinking about upskilling, here are my top five reasons why you should, and how to choose the best course for you.
1. Future-proof your career
Taking the time to develop yourself and your knowledge will not only help you to be more productive at work and increase your performance, but it will also help you get the chance to secure employment in the long run. No job is guaranteed for life, so upskilling will help you to ensure that you stay ahead of the curve of the ever-evolving job landscape. The skills you choose to develop do not need to be directly related to your current job either. By pushing yourself to keep your skill set current, you will broaden your chances of securing a new job or open the door to working in a new industry.
2. Gaining new skills will boost your confidence
Developing your skill set will boost your confidence and self-esteem personally and professionally. Acquiring new skills in your field will help you overcome challenges, increase productivity and broaden your career prospects. You will then find it easier to adapt to unpredictable changes in life as well. The more varied your life experience is, the more confident you become. All this culminates in an increased level of confidence.
3. It opens you to more opportunities
Companies like to hire well-trained and versatile people, and those with a series of skill sets are preferred over those with only basic skills. So, developing new abilities gives you options. It clears the way for more possibilities and enables you to easily transition if you are looking to change careers. I would go as far as saying that upskilling and reskilling are crucial in giving your career a boost. If you are encouraged by your company to attend workshops or training, always grab the opportunity to learn. Alternatively, why not take the lead and sign up for courses that excite you?
4. Discover a new passion
If you are looking for a career change or want to reignite your passion for your current job, upskilling could be the answer. By learning new skills, you open yourself up to the opportunity of getting in touch with new subjects and areas that might stir your interest. Industries are forever evolving, so there may be new tricks to the trade that you have not come across in your field. In contrast to this, you could also develop a completely new interest in something else. The beauty of adult education is that there are literally hundreds of courses, so you are sure to find one that sparks your imagination.
5. It adds value to you and the company
In the eyes of an employer, the best employees are those that are proactive and look to create value for the business. Acquiring more skills that are helpful to your company will make you an invaluable asset. Honing your analytical and problem-solving skills will allow you to be more productive. Showing people that you are flexible and can understand various roles will also make you a good candidate for promotions. Many companies encourage employees to upskill, so if you are encouraged by your company to attend training, always grab the opportunity to learn.
How to find the right course for you!
Getting started is the hardest part of any educational journey, so finding a course that suits you is vital. Many people will not have studied since school, and there are a plethora of courses on offer out there, which can make things daunting. I would recommend talking through some course options with an experienced advisor. They can signpost you to those courses suited to your preferred career path or they can suggest courses that compliment your current skill set and passions to take you on to a whole new career.
Look at whether you can build a programme of bite-sized courses to create a portfolio of useful skills if longer courses seem intimidating. See if study locations are close by to reduce commuting time or if you can combine a mixture of online and classroom study for more flexibility. Also, know what your employers, or future employers, want before you take an adult education course. This is incredibly important when choosing a role that will help you progress in your career. For example, if you are looking to go into a role where you are expected to have exceptional office and secretarial skills, there would not be much call for you to take a course in marketing.
Finally, ask yourself if you are the type of person who is self-motivated, or do you need the odd push to keep going? Be honest. If you do occasionally need that extra push, I would suggest choosing a course delivered by someone that gives you the level of support you need to take your study through to completion.
