Upskilling in ‘times’ of a slowdown.. Can it save the day?
‘Build your skills, not your resume’ — Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
There were fears over the last couple of years, that the world was going to experience a tremendous slowdown and that we are heading towards a recession.
The last, great recession of our time began well before 2008 and the first signs came in 2006. Are we really looking at a repeat of 2008, today? Will it be more severe this time around? These are worries for all of us.
The Covid-19 pandemic that has struck all nations on the globe, will also contribute to this and we are already seeing a domino effect. The stories of job losses, across sectors are splashed everywhere.
There are several ‘expert’ opinions about potential job losses and numbers are worrying.
The IT & ITES sectors can’t be far behind and may get hit badly. We cannot really fathom the scale of the global recession and it is going to linger for a long time. It isn’t easy to foresee or predict in such uncertain times. We also cannot just simply wait for it to pass and pray that it isn’t so severe. There needs to be a concrete plan for our career, to stay afloat and remain ‘unaffected’ in such a changed scenario.
Can Upskilling help?
Upskilling is a term well-known to business. In the micro context, It refers to the process of individuals learning new skills. On the macro level, it describes a tectonic shift in the workplace caused by technology. Technology has created new possibilities that can be fully realized only by a modernized workforce. That means the workforce must learn new skills and competencies that are required for new and/or changing jobs. Upskilling cuts across industries—IT/ITES included. It is critical to individuals and employers alike.
Why has upskilling suddenly become so important? the short & simple answer is ‘digital transformation’. The digital economy, enabled by rapid & astonishing advances in technology, is re-imagining the provider-customer dynamic and transforming how goods and services are being bought and sold.
Customer-focussed, tech-enabled, well-capitalized, new idea providers are disrupting incumbents across industries.
They share several core characteristics: a relentless commitment to improve customer access, experience, and loyalty; the efficient use of data, achieving ‘more with less’ for the benefit of customers, employees, and shareholders.
There are constant improvements across processes.
Their designs are built from the customer perspective, not to fit the provider economic model. What does one do to protect his/her job in such uncertain times?
Keeping oneself relevant in job market through up-skilling is a probable solution.
In the event of an unfortunate situation being laid-off, the newly acquired skills can also help in applying for a better paying job opening.
Upskilling is key in such situations and is a simple solution to remain competitive.
You not only can survive this scare but also thrive in such times. There are many reasons to do so. I have listed a few below:
- Employers, who downsize teams will retain skilled staff and even hire highly skilled candidates because their services become affordable as there is a big talent pool available during such times. Even in the event of being laid off, you could still end up joining another organization, in pretty quick time.
- One can always volunteer and take up additional roles & responsibilities as the employer is looking to cut costs. You will need additional skills & certifications to able to put up your hand, when asked.
- Highly skilled professionals can always stay fool proof because their skills cannot be automated easily. Companies that look at job cut at a solution always go for the roles/jobs that can be automated easily
- ‘Recession is a strange thing’. Skills suddenly go out of demand and you will be at a loss to understand what struck you. It always pays to get right skills and to that if you get a certified ‘tag’, it becomes easier to take the challenge head-on. A great opportunity and a higher pay-check awaits.
So now, if you have understood and accepted the facts, there comes a big question – What are the right skillsets that would help and would also last a life-time.
- Pick the right technology, even if it were not currently popular but is very likely to be accepted in the future.
- You need to be convinced and be passionate about your choice. Make a few enquiries and get expert opinion to ‘second’ your choice of technology.
- Research on what options you have available to get trained and how much time you would need to allocate on a regular basis. Trainings today can be either online or offline (Instructor led). You need trainer(s) and experts of the highest calibre to be able to do justice to the effort you will be putting in.
Remember, it is not just about what you learn. It is all about how you learn. An authorised training institute should be whom, you should be talking to. They have the right course structure, correct mix of theoretical and practical learning. A real time project thrown in, will test your learning and give you the required confidence and sense of control.
- All the latest ‘technologies’ that are in demand currently need ‘experts’ who know how it works and ensure customers get the maximum benefit by using it. These experts, who design/develop the applications must have learnt to implement it the right way and their skills have been ‘attested’ by the owner of that technology. Therefore, it makes sense to get certified and then think of applying for job interviews.
Doesn’t matter how busy you may be, you should always take time for self-development. There are many ways/modes of learning new technologies.
Speak to us, understand & explore ways to achieve success upon completing training and certification.
You can use the below link to leave your contact details. We can arrange for a callback to discuss, more on career planning.
CoreGlobal IT Pvt Ltd
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SR Nagar, Hyderabad – 500038
Office: +9140 4859 8783/84
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