Skill, Re-skill, Upskill: Stay Relevant Amidst And Post Covid-19

"The brighter you are, the more you have to learn.”

—Don Herold, celebrated writer and illustrator 

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curveball that has brought entire countries to their knees. With lockdowns and forced social distancing, we’ve seen industries come to a standstill as people are forced to stay indoors. As society at large tries to grapple with the extent of the impact, technology has in many ways, emerged as the saviour. Among other things, it has allowed people to work from home, people to shop from the comfort of their homes. It has enabled governments to monitor and take targeted action to curb the spread of the virus.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the "culture" along with the "nature of the job". Here is a new mantra for everyone, which will help them stay relevant in this time of Covid-19 crisis.

The mantra to remain relevant is - skill, re-skill and up-skill. Skill - Learn a new skill and value add to things. Re-skill - Add to your skill every day by learning something new. Up-skill - Widening your skillset is upskilling yourself. If a person is not "inquisitive" about learning new skills, life may become "mundane." Irrespective of your age, learning new skills fills your life with enthusiasm and energy

However, we can still utilise this period to develop new skills that will help us take forward our career amidst and post-Coronavirus world. Let's look at a few such job skills that help us survive in the professional world now and after the pandemic is over.

 Adaptability and Flexibility

One thing is for certain, the ways companies operate and work are going to change. The world was already changing rapidly, but the pandemic accelerated it. There will be few “jobs for life.” Someone that is going to succeed in a post-coronavirus-world will need to be able to adapt to ever-evolving workplaces and have the ability to continuously update and refresh their skills.

Tech Savviness

One of the best ways to prepare yourself for a post-coronavirus-world is to acquire technology skills. The COVID-19 pandemic is fast-tracking digital transformation in companies as they are trying to become more resilient to future outbreaks and disruptions. The reality is that technologies such as Artificial intelligence, Big data, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, and robotics will make businesses more resilient to future pandemics, and anyone that can help companies exploit these technologies will be in a great position.  

Creativity & Innovation

We have already seen the importance of creativity and innovation during the pandemic. Businesses that have been able to come up with ways to deliver services virtually (like many healthcare providers have done) or quickly shift to new products (like Merceded F1 have shifted from making racing cars to innovative breathing aids) have been able to better weather the storm. In a post-coronavirus world, we will need human ingenuity to invent, dream up new products and ways of working. Human creativity is going to be essential.

Critical Thinking

Another skill that will be essential as our global economy rebuilds from the damage done by COVID-19 is critical thinking. During the pandemic, we have seen a spike in fake news and misrepresentations of data and studies, as leaders, businesses, and governments are trying to shift blame and divert attention and proper scrutiny. People who can objectively evaluate information from diverse sources to determine what is credible will be valued. Not all information should be trusted, but organizations will need to rely on critical thinking to understand what information should inform decision-making.

Leadership skills

When a ship is in trouble, only an able captain can sail it through troubled water. During this hour of crisis, people with strong leadership qualities can lead a team to success. Industry experts are predicting work from home to be the next big thing. Already many tech giants have asked their employees to work from home till the end of 2020. So people with strong leadership skills who can manage team distantly, inspire teammates to work hard and bring out the best is others would be a safe bet for companies. So, it's time to hone your leadership qualities.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is that quality that helps a person to understand other's emotions better and express or control his or her emotions well. All great leaders possess this quality. They are empaths and can easily gauge the mental and emotional health of an employee. And during the stressful period that we are in today, employees with high emotional intelligence have better chances of survival.

Age is just a number

With so much happening all around the world and companies' future at stake, it calls for extraordinary leadership skills on the part of C-level executives. Hence, we will see organisations throw the concept of age out of the window and paving the way for more experience. Summarily, as Shakespeare quoted in Julius Caesar said "Experience is the teacher of all things.

Soft Skills 

Many formal competencies will be necessary to ensure success during the coronavirus recovery period. But, as a budding business student or young professional, one of the most effective measures one can take right now is to sharpen your soft skills.

Ponder this for a moment:  

Studies have shown that 85% of the jobs in 2030 (that will be undertaken by Generation Z and Alpha cohorts) are yet to exist. 

Commit to a Lifetime of Learning 

There’s only one way to remain relevant in a post-coronavirus reality is to commit to a lifetime of learning.

When faced with a tight job market, professionals with advanced and expert job skills will still be in demand and will likely struggle less to find employment. The good news is that improving your skills has never been easier. Today, it doesn’t require years of study or hefty loans to build up your skillset to be prepared for a post-coronavirus world. There are endless free and open online courses available that will help you improve your skills.

To remain relevant and valuable during the coronavirus recovery phase and beyond, learning how to be responsive as well as adaptable is going to be key. If you are able to transfer your core competencies from one task to another, learn new skills or processes swiftly and apply creative thinking to almost any project or initiative, you will be priceless during the recovery phase and long into the future. By embarking on a journey of lifelong learning, you can cement a long and rewarding professional career. And, if you want to be a positive part of the COVID-19 recovery phase, you should act now.