In today’s competitive market, it never hurts to boost your career. But why and how? Career skills can help you grow as an employee, resulting in improved finances and prospects. You can go about this in many ways, from improving digital literacy to developing skills for your job.
Embrace Cutting-Edge Technology
Technology usually plays a factor in good business. Whether you are an employee, self-employed, or run your own business, new technology accelerates growth. There are always powerful ways to use technology, such as virtual product optimization. Not sure? See this manufacturer’s guide to digital twins. Within certain sectors and use-case scenarios, you might be required to use tech like this as your company looks to improve efficiency and operations.
Boost Your Career with Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is almost a requirement for any job these days. In fact, 92% of companies place high importance on digital literacy and the typical skills it brings. Try the following to start:
- Begin by learning the basics, such as files and folder usage, OS, and standard apps.
- Take online courses to improve skills in common apps and learn enhanced tools.
- Keep yourself up to date with changes in digital technologies and software updates.
Learning to use a computer’s operating system well is a huge advantage. Of course, fundamental and industry-standard tools put you in a unique position to get ahead of others.
Use Popular Apps for Budgeting
As your career progresses, it is a good idea to learn how to manage your money. Maybe you are self-employed, such as working remotely for clients. This means you are responsible for important money management tasks such as paying taxes. Apps such as Quickbooks are a massive help and can even link to your bank account for easier transaction management. You can also use apps like You Need a Budget to take control of your finances and spending habits.
Embrace Automatic Savings Tools
Savings are essential for many things in life. A mortgage, emergency cash, and pensions are just some examples. But it is hard to save and gets harder as you earn more and ultimately spend more! It is recommended that you put away savings on the same day you get paid. But often, we can forget to do this. But as they say, every little helps. Automatic savings apps like Acorns can help your finances by putting aside a set amount and investing them automatically.
Boost Your Career with Training
Ongoing education and training is necessary for many jobs. It is a perfect example as it develops all the time. A recent survey found that 65% of workers are eager to take part in workplace improvement. But how can you go about this as an employee in your career?
Ask about development opportunities
One of the most overlooked ways to get training is to ask. A lot of companies don’t advertise expensive education but are open to paying for it for employees they believe will do well.
Research the digital competencies you need
Learning the wrong skills for the job you do is a waste of time. It can help you make a list of the core skills your career needs and work towards improving your overall employability.
Demonstrate how digital training helps
Sometimes, it takes a demonstration of how extra skills can work better for a company. You can encourage bosses to pay for training if you can convince them it is a positive move.
Consider lower-cost courses online
A fancy degree isn’t always the best course of action. There are many online course services, such as Udemy, that offer excellent skills training and education at a fraction of the cost.
Ask your employer to pay for external training
Conversely to the above, a degree or specific expensive qualification is needed. Cybersecurity is a great example. Your company might be open to paying for these if they are required.
Incorporate Digital Skills into Daily Life
Most skills are best learned in a hands-on way. Digital skills are no different, and you can learn them more quickly and easily by applying them to everyday life. For example, use your computer for more tasks. If you budget your monthly finances, swap your notepad for a spreadsheet program. This way, you learn how to use complex apps in a practical way. Additionally, it doesn’t feel like learning and can become fun with platforms like YouTube.
Develop Emotional Intelligence
While it’s often overlooked, emotional intelligence is a core skill that many employers look for. Yet, we can actually have a low EI even if we are excellent at critical problem-solving. To explore EI and how to improve it, there are some things you can try. During everyday situations, observe how you feel. Pay attention to how your feelings make you behave around others and when doing your job. Address negative observations and assess how you can overcome them.
Develop Satellite Skills to Boost Your Career
There are always skills you have. There are soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills are skills such as communication. Hard skills are the things you can do, such as network administration. Most employers look for around 10 to 15 skills relevant to a job, but the following can help:
- Learn how to analyze and interpret data that your sector uses and relies upon.
- Make yourself aware of cybersecurity issues and how to solve common problems.
- Embrace communication and collaboration apps that are widely used these days.
Data is a big deal these days, and more companies use and rely on it. Understanding how to identify and use data is a major advantage, alongside modern cyber issues and collaboration.
Find Helpful Social Media Groups
You don’t always have to study hard at an educational establishment to advance your career. You can find support in numerous ways, including online. Social media groups on platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Reddit offer a wealth of information. If you need to learn something that can help your job, then embrace the magic of community support. Your bosses will be glad you have learned something and applied it to being more productive at work.
Summary
Learning new technology can boost your career moving forward. Education and training from various sources can have a major positive impact. However, you don’t always need to spend money. Online groups on social platforms like Reddit can be excellent sources of information.
