Make Yourself a Better Professional While You Can!

Lost your job because of the pandemic? Get busy upskilling then!

If there’s one specific type of people that I’ve been consistently meeting since COVID-19 began, then it’s got to be retrenched professionals from all sorts of industries!

But you know what? Getting retrenched is not the end of the world. After all, economic recovery is not a matter of ‘If’, but ‘When’!

In fact, there’s no better time than now to review your skill sets, plug the gaps and ready yourself for the coming rebound!

First, group your skills into three categories: hybrid skills, transferable skills and job-specific skills.

Hybrid skills combine both hard and soft skills, like customer service, for example…

Transferable skills is know-how that applies to any job, no matter the level or industry, such as problem-solving, teamwork, or communication.

Job-specific skills are ones that apply only to certain positions or levels.

Doing this allows you to have a bird’s eye view of the skills you have and the skills you lack!

It’s also very important for you to keep up with the trends

Employers are less concerned with how ‘tall’ your career ladder is, it is the depth and breadth of your experience that they are looking for.

Take some time to observe where your industry is heading…

Then lean into your existing network, talk to those inside and outside your industry

Try and make connections that were otherwise non-existent before.

There are numerous podcasts, webinars and live events to consume – some of them are free – which should give you good indications of where your knowledge holes are and how to plug them.

Professional services network Deloitte says the lifespan of a specific skill set is growing shorter every year.

As such, when you are looking for formal courses out there to acquire new skills, it is important to make sure that the curriculum is still relevant to your industry!

Also, consider short courses, such as specialised certificates, that are aligned closely to developing trends within your specific sector.

And remember, e-learning is the most effective — and safest — way to upskill yourself!

Losing a permanent job is one thing, but have you considered contracting instead?

An economic slowdown similar to what’s happening now is high time for those retrenched to consider contracting as a career option, even if it is a short-term solution.

This period of uncertainty means that it is difficult for businesses to make long-term decisions like hiring permanent staff and increasing headcounts.

As such, contractors, especially those with relevant skill sets and are available on a moment’s notice fit the bill perfectly.

Also, contract professionals tend to have shorter interviews and onboarding processes because they already have the necessary skills to jump on board and fix problems!

Ultimately, the greatest currency you possess is not the previous job or job title you held, but the skills you have picked up along the way.

As much as the pandemic and retrenchment have caught many of us by surprise, it doesn’t change the fundamental value of the skill sets that you have acquired!