“Am I relevant today?” This may be a question we need to ask the person in the mirror almost every day. The change and uncertainty that began worldwide with the Covid-19 pandemic continue unabated with the advent of AI and Chat GPT. Who knew that one day all this would disrupt our lives and unleash a new world order?
Have you kept up-to-date with the current trends in the marketplace? It’s time to take control. It’s important to upgrade your skills, be on the lookout for ways to grow and embrace new learning opportunities. Here are 6 ways to stay current, stay relevant and stay ahead.
1. Get out of your comfort zone
Stepping out of your routine can help you boost confidence and improve work performance. Embrace new challenges head-on and assert your value and relevance. Try to become a lifelong learner. Constantly seeking knowledge is a great equalizer. It will get you noticed, attract new opportunities and prepare you to accept challenges that others might avoid.
2. Learn something different
Gaining extra knowledge and updating skills can definitely help improve your prospects on the job. For example, if you are in the software industry, you could learn a new coding language. Maybe you could enroll in a career enhancement course or technical certification program. Or attend a training session to acquire new skills. You can immediately apply what you learn and this can build self-confidence on and off the job.
3.Take initiative, lead the way
Get an understanding of how your industry is changing and how you can personally add value.
By taking a pre-emptive and creative approach, you’ll indicate that you are adaptable and will bring a growth mindset to the inevitable challenges and opportunities that are around the corner as we move ahead. By taking the initiative, you will gain back an element of control.
4. Operate from a position of strength
Demonstrate a personal commitment to gaining the knowledge and establishing yourself as an expert. Once you have a good grasp of the current and future market outlook, ask yourself how you can apply your unique strengths, skills and competencies to thrive. Establishing yourself as the ‘go-to’ expert in a given area, helps your organization to tackle the likely challenges or solve the problems on the horizon.
5. Network more. Build and strengthen relationships
Identify the people who can be an ally for your career development, and who may be so in the future. You could ask them to be your mentor and learn from them on how to go about adapting. Grab every coaching and mentoring opportunity that applies to you. You can also boost your networking with peers both inside and outside the organization. You will soon build social proof for yourself, solve problems and create value.
6. Stay positive and be optimistic
A positive and optimistic attitude is always helpful during times of transition. For one, positivity contagious and can spread like wildfire within a team. It can also serve as an impetus for success and growth throughout the organization.
Constantly focus on improving interpersonal skills. While technical skills are important, remember, AI could accomplish that too, to a certain degree today. That’s why, your ability to build and nurture relationships with others is vital for leadership growth and career advancement today. And last but not the least, it’s good practice to set attainable goals each day, so you feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete them.
