5 Effective Ways to Upskill Yourself as Technology Disrupts Industries

We all have been hearing big talk about the technological revolution and digitization and how this is affecting industries. From banking to automobiles and from insurance to healthcare, technology has changed almost every industry and we might be struggling to keep up with the changing demands of the same. However, instead of getting intimidated by the technological wave, you need to focus on adding to your skillset or upskilling yourself to ensure that you too can take advantage of the growth being brought about by the technological revolution. Here are some ways you can upskill yourself today.

#1. Take courses to keep yourself up to date with the latest technology

It is no secret that due to digital disruption, industries worldwide are changing. Thanks to the emergence of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics, big data and automation our understanding of industries and our jobs is changing rapidly. This makes it paramount to keep up to date with new skills and background knowledge required to keep up to date. There are vocational and online courses available for professionals online and through other part-time programs whereby working individuals can learn a plethora of skills including, machine learning, big data analytics, digital marketing, finance, amongst others. Since these courses are designed for working professionals you can take them without having to quit your full-time job. What’s more, is that you can get instant approval for your loan online and you do not need to provide any collateral for the same. While mostly all banks offer educational loans for undergraduate, postgraduate degrees and diplomas as well as for PhDs and Doctoral programs, some banks also offer educational loans for specialized courses. These could include, IT courses, nursing or teaching certificates, degrees or diplomas for aeronautics, pilot training, job-oriented diploma or certificate courses, amongst several others. If you are worried about being able to finance these courses, consider taking a hassle-free education loan. The digital revolution has made the loan application process seamless, allowing you consider taking up your desired courses without worrying about the availability of funds.

#2. Take up new projects

A lot of times upskilling means exploring more of what you can learn at your current job and role. Inarguably, you learn new skills when you take on new roles, responsibilities and challenges. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be challenging and nerve-wracking, but taking on new projects, clients and helping out will help you develop more skills and also give you a more diversified skill set which can help you later.

#3. Take up part-time opportunities

While it may not be feasible for everyone to take up an online course or ask for additional responsibility at work, you can always take up part-time work which will help you to upskill and diversify your skill set. Taking up some freelance work or trying to work as a consultant with a startup will not only generate external revenue but also teach you the nuances of new technology, business approaches and help you learn general skills of working with newer and more technologically advanced teams.

#4. Invest in developing your human skills

Although the rise of digitization and automation would prompt you to develop more machine skills and keep in touch with technology, it is important to invest in developing your human skills at the same time. While technological aptitude is important for almost all jobs today, having personal people skills along with basic workplace skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, negotiation, emotional intelligence are also very important. These skills are important across industries, markets and will be timeless. Even if you consider changing your technical skill set or your career having well maintained and sharp human skills will prove to be an indispensable tool for you.

#5. Undertake professional networking

Gone are the days when professional networking meant only reaching out to people from your alma mater to see if they could put in a good word for you at their workplace. Thanks to the disruption brought about by professional social networking websites such as LinkedIn, you can outreach to find people who are experts in their field and will be willing to provide you with guidance. You can reach out to anyone from your industry who is doing stellar work in technology and is leading the way in the workplace and ask for tips, advice and guidance on how to upskill yourself to ensure you keep up to date with changes and challenges of your industry. Don’t hesitate: participate in seminars, go to work socials, networking events, industry events and talk to people. You will be surprised as to how many people are willing to share their knowledge and experience with you to help you do more and achieve more.

While it can be overwhelming to think about the disruption technology is causing across industries, it is important to focus on how you can help adapt to changing times. Adding these skills will not only help you survive the technological wave but also help you take advantage of the benefits of technology to be better at your job.