It’s no secret that the modern workplace is constantly changing. Staying with the same employer and moving through the ranks is now a thing of the past.
With the rise of new technologies and emerging industries, traditional job roles are changing and many are being transformed into hybrid roles that require a range of skills or others are turning into freelance roles.
To appreciate the speed of this change it’s predicted that 65% of school children today will end up in jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. The key question in all of this is, “how do I stay relevant and employed, or better still be valued?”
Courses like those of start-up Paper Plane have emerged to address the need for employees to up skill and up skill quickly. Paper Plane’s projects are geared around offering genuine on-the-job experience as the participants work with leading brands and on real briefs.
CEO of Slingshot, Karen Lawson shares her advice on how to stay relevant and be valued in the workforce:
1. Life long learning
Relying on past qualifications is no longer viable, continuous learning essential to both succeeding and sustaining a career. Up-skilling is the best way to advance your skill set to meet the growing demands of hybrid roles. You need to pathways to build on your skill set. There are many ways to do this.
2. Back yourself
Be sure to back yourself in everything you do, no one else if going to do it for you! Backing yourself allows you to feel empowered at work and not be afraid to speak your mind and get your voice heard. This confidence will make you stand out as strong leader and innovator in the workplace which employers will respect and reward.
3. Build a personal board of directors
It is not enough to simply surround yourself with talented people. Keep your network mobilised and embrace opportunities to meet new people. Invest in your network by building strong relationships with existing and new contacts. Be sure to include a diverse bunch of thinkers and people who rarely agree with you, this will challenge your way of thinking and push you to work harder.
4. Listen
You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, so use them in proportion! Don’t confuse being the loudest voice in the room with being a strong leader. Instead, really listen to your co-workers and superiors and use their knowledge to mould their ideas to come up with collaborative solutions. This showcases your exceptional ability to work in teams.
5. Embrace failure
Failure is inevitable in the evolving workplace and your reaction such failure says a lot about you. Don’t cower in fear and mope when you fail- embrace failure as a learning experience and use this as a stepping-stone for success in the future.
6. Take action
If you work the same way you always have, how do you expect to stay relevant and advance your career? Hold yourself accountable for the work that you do and seek out new opportunities. Don’t wait around to be told what to do, prepare for the future and invest in your own education and training to ensure you can keep up with the ever-changing demands of the industry. Demonstrating your skills is far more powerful than a qualification.
7. Take risks
Business is all about taking risks. Use you past failures to make calculated risks. They may not always pay off, but when they do it will be highly rewarding and show your employer you’re a valuable and confident employee.
8. Self reflection
It is not enough to rely on technical skills as the basis of your value as an employee. Empathy, creative thinking, collaboration and leadership are all highly sought after skills in the modern workplace. Such skills are essential to be able adapt to change and foster innovation. Personal coaching is a powerful way to develop these valuable skills as it offers individual support and guidance throughout the learning process. Building upon your skill set to improve employability is key in ensuring you stay relevant today’s ever-changing workplace. Make 2017 the year you catapult your career and achieve the goals you’ve always wanted to.
- Karen will be a guest speaker at the Paper Plane free information night tonight – Wednesday, 8 February starting at 6pm at 1 O’Connell Street, Sydney. Our publisher Robyn Foyster is also on the expert panel. To register or to find more about Paper Plane’s project and introductory discounted offer of $1,500, go to www.paperplaneprojects.com.au.
