Going Digital? 5 ways to reskill and update yourself with digital technologies

Did you realize how important it is to keep pace with the ever-changing digital technologies? Have you noticed how your digital skills are influencing your career growth? It doesn’t matter whether you are a hair stylist, a cab driver or a tech-savvy engineer.The one thing that you deserve at work is job security.And today, every job comes with its own insecurity because of the rapidly changing technologies.

Let me share a recent incident. I have met Shreya, an employee from a reputed healthcare company. She has been working there for the past 6 years. She said, “I don’t think I will be able to continue this job further.” I asked,”What happened?” She said, “my company is undergoing many changes by adopting many new technologies. I don’t think I have the necessary digital skills to cope up with this since I am mainly a Healthcare professional .So,I’m afraid I will lose this job.” She paused for a second, “However,I think…….” She continued and asked some relevant questions and I had an interesting conversation with her on how every industry is becoming a digital enterprise.

As you see, there are people like Shreya who are finding it very difficult to cope up with the changing digital technologies.As digital skills play a crucial role in increasing the workplace productivity, you are bound to acquire these skills. Now, where do we start? How can you keep yourself updated with the latest technologies? The answer lies in reskilling yourself. Now, let’s take a look at these 5 most important reskilling ways through which you can easily acquire these skills.

1. Participate in employer-sponsored training programs

Be it marketing, services, retail, logistics or media, industry sectors across the globe are caught up in the new age digital revolution.To keep up with the pace of technological changes, employers offer various training programs on improving the digital skills. Sometimes ,they also provide certification programs where you get a chance to earn a certificate from an authoritative organization. You can participate in such programs that offer genuine career value through quantifiable and tangible rewards.This will help you increase your productivity and upgrade your skills.

2. Attend conferences, seminars and webinars

No matter what your skill levels are ,professional conferences, seminars and webinars can take your career to next level. Attending and participating in seminars is a great way to learn about the changing digital technologies and how they influence our careers.You will be able to understand the industry perspective and this will help you in strategizing the ways in which you can acquire the relevant digital knowledge. Also, conferences help in making new connections with professionals. So ,next time when you hear of an upcoming seminar or conference in your industry make sure you participate in it!

3. Use online programs to gain new skills

It’s digital again! There are a number of free online courses and MOOCs.You can choose the most relevant course and invest some time in developing your digital skills.You can also enroll for paid online certification courses that focuses exclusively on digital skill development.Getting an additional skill certification will boost your career growth.So, why should you wait when you have all the resources at your fingertips!

4. Go for innovative digital events!

Even though you are not a tech savvy person, you can still attend innovative digital events .This will help you in understanding the growth of new technologies and its influence in transforming your lives in the next couple of years.Digital events showcase the most modern technologies that are used in different sectors.When you become a part of the event, you get a chance to mingle with tech professionals who can shed more light on the new-age digitalization. This will help you in embracing the advanced technologies and you become more open to learning .

5. Make learning personal and shareable

When you embrace digital skills learning, it is intrinsically tied to your career goals and paths. However, sharing your knowledge with others can impact the modern learning experience in a great way.For example, preparing a help guide could take your colleague a few hours but it may only take a few minutes for a knowledgeable person like you.You can help your colleagues in doing that using various digital tools.As such, you can create an environment of learning and knowledge-sharing where there will be mutual benefits in acquiring the relevant skills.

The digital skills challenges should not be something to be afraid of. Rather, it is an opportunity for you to acquire relevant skills for going up the job ladder or move into a new sector.This actually integrates work diversity and opens up new avenues in the labour market.With the right level of reskilling strategies you will be able to cope up with the challenges in the digital skill space and find the right path for career advancement.

So,next time when you feel like digitalization is affecting your work or career, stop and think like Shreya: “How can I reskill myself in acquiring digital skills?”,”What online tools are available?” ,“Is there any seminars or events coming up?”,“How can I learn and share knowledge with my team?” 

If you find answers to these questions you have rightly took the next step for enhancing your career!