In today’s current economic situation, many working professionals and companies are feeling uncertainty as the job market shifts around them. People are changing careers, companies are restructuring, and we’re still feeling the effects of COVID-19 on long-distance working styles.
It can be easy to feel as if your future is uncertain in the steady news cycle of labor shortages and job loss, but you don’t have to live in that uncertainty. There are several ways to accentuate your current skill set and make yourself an integral part of your company, to guarantee yourself a stable and hopeful future.
1. Invest in Your Future
Continuing Education is one of the best ways to support and encourage growth in your career. Whether you’re seeking to change your career or advance in your current one, education can help you achieve your goals. Getting a certification in a new field gives you a useful baseline for how to operate when interviewing for a new job, and getting the next degree or distinction in your current field allows you to establish yourself as an essential authority in your company.
During times of high turnover, companies value employees who demonstrate staying power and dedication, and furthering your expertise in your field is a way to demonstrate that interest. If you’re not sure about what your next steps for further training should be, talk to your leadership. Telling them about your interest in expanding your knowledge shows them your willingness to learn, and it’s a way to guarantee that you’ll be developing in-demand skills.
If you’re planning on joining another field, talking to someone currently in that industry can let you know what skills are in demand and what continuing education would serve you best when entering the field.
However, you don’t have to start completely from scratch if you’re seeking to build skills for a new industry. You can organize your resume and experience to showcase your transferable skills across industries. If you’re in an event management position seeking to join the healthcare industry, you can still emphasize your organizational skills and level-headedness under pressure, both of which will serve you well in your career change. Soft skills like cooperation and time management are usually more transferable than hard skills, and they make everyday tasks in your job far more efficient.
2.Watch Industry Trends
Keeping an eye on industry trends is also an excellent way to plan for your future. Where is your industry struggling? Where is it thriving? Positioning your ongoing education to fill any visible gaps will set you up as an essential resource in your company.
This is also where innovation comes into play. What are new innovations in the industry that you can implement in your own work? What new skills can you learn that have been proven effective? Or, if there’s an ongoing problem in your company or industry, can you be the innovator to come up with a solution?
If you are considering changing careers, watch industry trends in your target industry. Some fields are more stable than others, which means that you may want to plan your career change accordingly. Delivery services and healthcare are just a few of today’s growing fields.
3. Practice Resiliency
Your mindset matters. Learning industry-specific skills will help set you up for a stable future, but there are also universal skills that will help you wherever your career takes you. Skills like effective communication, fluency in a second language, CPR, and computer proficiency will help you in almost any career you find yourself in.
Continuous learning, like Clayton State Continuing and Professional Education’s Contract Training options, can provide you and your team with those skills. Continuing education keeps your learning muscles strong, which makes you a practiced problem solver, and learning how to work in a team or approach problems strategically gives you the foundations for a stable future. The best way to save your career from uncertainty is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, and that means practicing resiliency.
Encourage an Adaptable Team with CaPE
If your company is facing an uncertain future, you don’t have to go into it unprepared. Contract Training can help you develop a stronger, more adaptable team that’s ready for the future.
You don’t have to worry about keeping your balance in an unstable economy. By investing in your future, watching industry trends, and practicing resiliency, you can create stability for yourself and your company.
Interested in creating stable, long-lived skills with your team? Schedule a discovery session today to find the customized continuous learning plan that’s right for you.