A Formula for Successful Skill-building for the Future

A Formula for Successful Skill-building for the Future

As the saying goes, you can’t be everything to everyone. By extension, you can’t know everything for every instance. But it’s what you can do that will define your future success.

When you are expanding your role or advancing along a career path, you should expect to learn new things. Being proactive about your skill set, however, can help you leapfrog to new responsibilities instead of playing catch-up after the fact.

“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.” — Unknown

The first favor you can do for yourself is to think about learning new skills as something other than a chore. This is a gift you are giving yourself to broaden your perspective, deepen your expertise, expand your network, and boost your attractiveness to employers.

According to a TestGorilla employer survey, skills-based recruiting reduced time-to-hire by 91% and increased employee retention by the same amount.

So think of this effort as your highest priority DIY project. The work you put in makes the reward that much sweeter for you and your future employer.

Thankfully, you are no longer limited to the intensive seminar approaches of the past. Real-time webinars and on-demand classes give you options that fit both your schedule and your ideal learning style. Platforms like LinkedIn and Coursera offer classes (some of them free) to help you build new skills or refresh old ones.

In addition, most colleges and universities offer continuing education classes and some companies (Google and HubSpot, for example) offer certificate courses that can boost your skill set and professional profile.

“You have two hands. One to help yourself, the second to help others.” — Audrey Hepburn

The best way to reinforce new skills is by putting them to use in real-life situations. Before unveiling them for the first time in a new role, however, consider shoring them up and shortening your learning curve with a little practice first.

How? Volunteer for a startup or nonprofit. Either can benefit from the breadth of your experience while you test-drive what you have recently learned.

If you have been looking for a new role, remember that those same job search sites include volunteer positions. Idealist is one that includes jobs, internships, and volunteer openings specifically for social-impact organizations as an added bonus for your contributed time.

Speaking of bonuses, check community postings as a way to both give back and expand local connections. Websites like VolunteerMatch can also help you find local or remote volunteer opportunities.

“If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator.” — Anonymous

If you are between full-time roles either by choice or because you’re recovering from a layoff, why not put your talents to work for you? Explore freelance or consulting opportunities that gain you more experience while earning you money.

Maybe you are employed but are thinking about moving up, moving on, or pivoting your career path. You could join the 45% of working Americans that Side Hustle Nation reports are making extra money on their own terms.

That’s a good thing in the face of uncertainty. According to a GOBankingRates survey, 57% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings in 2023. Taking on projects either as a consultant or as a side hustle can help you build a financial cushion as you determine your next career steps.

“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.” — Pauline R. Kezer

Learning, practicing, and flexing new skills contributes to the next chapter in your professional story. And you want it to be as engaging as it can be. But it is important to note that just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to the skills you add to your arsenal.

The Society for Human Resource Management reports that in 2020, 97% of employers deemed “soft” skills as important or more important than “hard” or technical skills. These soft skills include key emotional intelligence traits like self-awareness, self-management, and empathy as well as collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability.

That should come as no surprise during the height of the pandemic, but as our workplace expectations have adapted, these skills have become ingrained in the way many places choose to do business. What better way to demonstrate them than by taking the initiative to learn and then putting those learnings to work in different scenarios with different team and client dynamics?

Change starts with anticipating and understanding the challenges and needs that drive you to build new skills, but success–your story’s happy ending–comes from how well you can show your versatility and its potential positive impact on your future employer’s bottom line.

In Summary:

• Learn: New skills deepens your expertise, expands your network, and boosts your attractiveness to employers. Today’s training options mean you can learn at your pace in a way that fits you best.
• Practice: Apply what you learn in real-life scenarios to reinforce and refine your approach. Volunteering is a good option that is also a way to give back.
• Charge: Support your growing expertise through freelance and consulting gigs–whether you’re in between jobs or working a side hustle. Having a financial cushion gives a little breathing room for decision-making.
• Remember to balance soft skills and technical skills. And be prepared to adapt as needed to demonstrate what an asset you can be to a future employer.

Not sure where to start when up-leveling your skills? Need an objective eye to assess where you are versus where you want to be? I can help. Learn more about my coaching services here.