Standing out from the crowd is a challenge today in a competitive world. In the future, it will be even more difficult because of the impending industrial revolution. In order for you to boost your career, achieve your professional goals and give meaning to your work, it is essential to upgrade your skills.

Taking this step quickly will not only have a quick and positive impact on your performance, but will also guarantee a better management of your career evolution. In our article, we discuss all the steps to achieve this!

What is skills upgrading?

Acquiring new skills that allow you to better manage your responsibilities and missions is called skills upgrading. Professional skills upgrading can also help you broaden your knowledge and evolve within the company. In any case, it allows you as an employee to gain autonomy, motivation and improve your performance. Moreover, progress is an essential source of fulfillment for many people, including High Potentials.

How to improve your skills?

Follow training courses

Group or solo, face-to-face or distance learning, long or short … In terms of training, there is really something for everyone, whether in terms of content or form.

Depending on the skills you wish to improve, you can follow continuous training. It is the best ally to develop your skills in a specific subject and succeed in your rise in competence. The objective and advantage of the training is to obtain a certification that attests to your new skills. Thus, you will acquire knowledge that will be recognized later. You can follow multiple training courses in different fields by taking courses on LinkedIn Learning, google academy, Coursera ….

Self-training

Today, we are really lucky to have the information we need at our fingertips, thanks to the internet we have the privilege to self-train on the subject we want. Participating in MOOCs, trade shows, conferences, webinars or master classes are all examples of self-training that make it easier for you to increase your skills. These events can be attended face-to-face or remotely, depending on your preferences and availability. It is also an opportunity to develop your network thanks to the exchanges that will take place.

Attend professional events

Attending professional events can teach you many things. For one thing, they can tell you about developments in the industry you specialize in. Trade groups, local businesses and professional associations hold conferences, seminars and even workshops to show how the industry works. These gatherings can also be used for networking and exchanging ideas with colleagues, which can give you a new perspective and help you succeed in your skills development.

Validate your skills

Once you have obtained your diploma, you may be asked to perform functions for which you are not prepared. This will allow you to gain experience and increase your knowledge of skills for which you do not have a qualification. This type of qualification is however mostly sought after by recruiters, when you change companies for example, Hence the interest in validating your acquired experience to obtain a professional certification,thanks to the validation of acquired experience (VAE).

The importance of Skills Upgrading 

In fact, there are many reasons why you might consider learning new skills:

Update your professional skills

Many professions are facing new challenges and have evolved very quickly since the advent of the digital age. As processes and tools evolve, so do our skills and expertise. These advances are driving a shift in professions and knowledge.

This digitalization is more widespread in some sectors (such as administration, food industry or industry) and forces employees to improve their skills and develop new ones in order to remain productive and competitive.

Take on new roles and responsibilities

Perhaps you want to take on additional responsibilities, which is why you would like to improve your skills and move up. After being in a position for a long time, it is natural to want to push yourself out of your comfort zone and get a position with greater responsibilities (vertical progression) and better compensation.

Reaching a professional goal

Our desires, and our professional ambitions, can evolve over time. A professional project can develop over the course of a career. The most important thing is to be able to determine the direction you want to take in order to put in place the appropriate steps (training, VAE, etc.). By reaching the goal, you will be able to give meaning to your profession or experience greater satisfaction on a daily basis.

Skills are important because they give you an advantage over others. As the future moves toward automation and technology, it will be helpful to improve your skills and learn new ones. There are many online resources that can help you with this, from bootcamps to online courses. Some are free, while others are affordable so that more people can develop. Once you have the skills you need, you can network to learn more about the industry you want to work in. Social media can also be used for this purpose. Finally, it can be helpful to get a certification to show your commitment to the work.