Why You Should Upgrade Your Skills even when You Have The Job You Wanted

Do not fool yourself that now you have the job you wanted, you will not have to work to keep it or get a better job. Even if you worked years to get where you are now, the hard work is far from over. This is particularly true if you work in an industry where technology plays a role.

Regardless of how much or how little your job description says about technology, you will have to keep up with changes in order to keep your skill set current. In other words, you have to keep your knowledge relevant.

How Your Employer Views Being Relevant

There is a very good chance that during your job interview you were asked this question: “How do you keep up-to-date on advances in technology?” Your answer to that question would not have been a deal breaker as to whether or not you were hired however, now it is important to revisit that question. In today’s rapid changing world of technology, your skill set will be impacted by just about any shift that takes place.

There are several messages that will be sent to your employer depending on how you respond to this issue. The goal is to be viewed as being a valuable member of the team or department you are part of at the workplace. By staying current on what is happening outside of the office with technology or other matters than can impact your position in the company, you show interest. If you do not care to stay current, that will also show.

How To Keep Current On Changes That May Impact Your Position

Believe it or not, you will be spending several extra hours off the job working to stay on the job as a result. This means putting in a lot of time online researching what changes are taking place. You will likely find yourself following blogs, RSS Feeds and even subscribing to industry-related magazines and periodicals that will keep you in tune with even the slightest tweak that can have a ripple effect down to your work station at the office.

How To Prevent Becoming Obsolete

Remember that handheld device that you owned and relied on for just about everything? It was your phone, your scheduler, your reminder, your information source and it even provided you with some entertainment. That was until the series of upgrades got to a level that the device could no longer operate. It became obsolete. You have to view yourself in much of the same way to keep your personal operating system updated at all times.

Failure to keep up with advancements related to your industry – directly or indirectly – is up to you. Even if you happen to hold a supervisory or managerial position. Staying relevant will hold your value in the workplace and give you leverage when your department is hit with layoffs or downsizing of any kind. So how do you keep your knowledge as up-to-date as possible and still complete a full day’s work?

1. Career Development Programs

You’ve probably heard the term ‘career development’ before and thought it was some lame

excuse for gathering staff in a room and doing something boring. In actual fact, if the company you work for is trying to retain staff, they would be providing career development opportunities to assist. Pay attention to these developmental seminars or workshops as they may offer you a clue on how to prepare for changes in your industry.

Even if they do not directly deal with tasks you are responsible for in your current position, view them as an opportunity to add to your knowledge. In other words, if the boss is paying for the training, here’s your chance to get something that will help improve your skills. It may also improve the size of your pay check.

2. Mentoring Programs

Another way you can upgrade your skills is through a mentoring program. Some companies have them and some don’t. If the office you work in does, sign up and get involved. Essentially you would find yourself ‘job shadowing’ a senior employee. In this situation you will be shown new tasks, be expected to actually do the new tasks and learn as you go. Plus, a senior staff member may provide information on upcoming changes you can prepare for in advance.

It is another form of on the job training but one where you can ask a lot of questions and

potentially train for a better position within your existing department or company. Plus, chances are the senior employee you are shadowing may be looking for a good candidate to serve as a replacement. This is an opportunity for you to climb the ladder to a better job.

3. Do-It-Yourself Programs

There are some skills that you may need to upgrade on your own or in order to advance within the workplace you have to add new skills. One of the best ways to do this is on your own through volunteering. An example may be some accounting programs you need to brush up on and have no practical way to do this at work.

By approaching local bookkeepers or other professionals using these programs and offering to learn without pay may be a good option. If you find the right match, you may also have someone new to network your new skills through. Or at the very least, another contact to use as a reference should you decide to leave the job you have for something else.

4. Night School Programs

On the offhand chance that there are no actual career development programs in place at your work place, you can attend school. While that may not sound like an attractive option, it is still a practical one. There are many great educational institutions, some focusing entirely on skills training that can be the perfect way to help you upgrade your knowledge.

In fact, these educational options may even be programs that are funded by governing bodies saving you some of the cost. Some programs may even have a sponsorship component where your employer can get involved without actually having to be on site. Regardless, even if you end up paying for upgrading courses, you will be able to claim the expenses at income tax time.

What If You Don’t Upgrade Your Skills?

If you work in an office and industry where there is no competition, you may get away without

having to improve your skills. But why wouldn’t you? Without the extra edge of current

knowledge of a particular program, procedure or methodology all you are doing is setting

yourself up for little or no career advancement.

This means raises and promotions. When you choose to not learn something new about your

position, you may end up losing it eventually. As harsh as that sounds, it is the reality you must face if you don’t bother staying relevant in the workplace. Remember, there are many others in your office who would love to have your position, even if you don’t see that.

Additional Benefits To Upgrading Your Skills

Extra pay and better jobs within your current company are possible when you keep yourself up to speed on the latest innovations. Where career development really works in your favor is how it increases your value in the workforce. What this means is that should your employer not provide incentives to you for adding to your skills with more pay or responsibility, a competitor may.

This is where upgrading your skills while working will pay off the most. The same job in a

different company may earn you more now that you have the extra skills. It also shows a

prospective new employer that you are not afraid to adapt and change with the times. By going through with career development you are saying you are flexible and ready for anything. But you have to be willing to show the motivation to do this is self-generated and not pushed on you.

Final Thoughts On Staying Current

So, how do you plan on staying current in your existing job? Start looking online for websites

that focus on the kinds of technology you use on an average day at work. Add to that anything that deals with the industry you are in and even join online communities that have forums. This is where employees in similar settings can chat back and forth about the changes they have either experienced or see coming down the road.

Anything that can give you a foothold on change will prove valuable in any format. The bottom line is that although you may love what you do, and where you are doing it, you can always do better. Plus, there is always someone somewhere who can do it better than you. To keep your place on the ladder you need to stay relevant. When you do this, it ensures your current position, improves your situation and provides you with additional employment options. I hope now you know why you should upgrade your skills even when you have the job you wanted.