How long have you been in your current company? Do you have plan to move out and switch careers? Or have you settled in your present job and completely satisfied with it? Be it the earlier or later case, it is crucial for you to stay up-to-date with current job market, even when you are happy with your job.
One of the most important reason why you should stay informed with current job trends is to prepare for the worst-case scenario that might threaten your position. For example, amidst today’s fierce competition in business, there are chances where your company’s financial situation could suffer from unexpected economic downturn. Despite your best efforts to support the company and no matter how much you excel in your current job role, such situation might leave you no option but to leave the organisation for good.
Sometimes, reality bites. If such a case happens all out of a sudden, you might be left unsettled as you have no idea what lies ahead on your career path. Owing to this reason, you should always be prepared for uncertain times, which means that you should be ready to step out of your comfort zone. Do not limit your efforts towards learning new knowledge and honing your skillsets, just because you have found security and comfort in one particular job.
Another good reason is owing to job transition. Younger talents and fresh grads with unique competencies are joining the workforce and their arrivals will raise the competition bar even higher. Therefore, if you do not have the courage and willingness to move forward and learn new things, you will be left behind those new talents. Hence, you should keep updating your competencies and upgrading skills to meet future business requirements and changing job role demands.
See: Having a Whale of a Time: Why Happy Days at Work Drive Better Business Outcomes
Below, we share three essential tips to stay up-to-date with the current job market:
Learn new skills
Personal growth is not only crucial for staying updated with the job market, but also vital to stay competitive amidst newer and younger professionals. In today’s globalised era, there is nothing like a ‘secured job.’ If you do not update your skillsets to meet the latest trend, chances are, your manager will update their human capital requirements by replacing you with younger talents. There are various ways where you can learn new skills without interrupting your productive working hours. For instance, you can join a training course conducted during weekends, or register for a webinar on the topics you are interested in. While you might need to invest some money into it, this will impact not only your productivity and efficiency at work, but also boost your employability.
Join networking groups
Networking is the key to success in any industry. For a start, you should find and join local networking groups related to your expertise. By attending these groups, you will stay informed with prospective opportunities within the industry. Being involved in a networking group also gives you greater insight on what is going on in the business, as well as how you should respond to the situation. Make good friends with people who work for the same industry in different job roles. This will help you when a problem arises, as they will provide advice and lend helping hand to resolve the issue.
Leverage the internet
In any profession, staying abreast of the latest information and business trends is a must. Nowadays, myriad websites and blogs dedicated for various fields and expertise are available on the internet. From food, fashion, photography, technology, construction, to human resources, you can find everything easily at the tip of your finger. You can subscribe to newsletters and mailing lists from websites related to your expertise. Register your email for their bulletin and you can get access to a great amount of statistics and data in the industry. These will be beneficial to enrich your knowledge to remain competitive in the business.
Read also: CEO Secrets to Compensating Right: Don’t Ask, Just Prove Your Worth!
