Are You Upskilling?
Many of my LinkedIn contacts, especially those in tech, are anxious about layoffs and our job market. One way to give your career a boost is through upskilling. Like it sounds, upskilling is advancing your existing skills and learning new skills to stay competitive in your career. This can help you level up in your current role or transition into a higher related role. Upskilling also has other benefits such as increased job satisfaction, higher earning potential, and personal growth.
The most common way to upskill is through online courses. Sites like Coursera and EdX provide a wide array to courses from universities. These courses are usually a bit longer and more structured. Many of these courses lead to badges, certifications, and in some cases diplomas that can be shared with others.
Many tech vendors offer learning paths and certifications for their products. Some of them are even free. Lately I have working on a distributed SQL project so I have working my way through content from both Cockroach Labs and Yugabyte, and I have managed to earn a few badges and certs from them.
Professional certifications are also good options for demonstrating new skills. Many companies look for candidates that have earned certifications, and this is often a good way to get more visibility during the hiring process. For example, AI skills are in demand, and each of the major cloud providers has put together a learning path on how to leverage AI on their platforms. With these certifications, a candidate can demonstrate that they have this knowledge.
- AWS Training & Certification and AWS Machine Learning Specialty Certification
- Google Cloud Training and Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer Certification
- Microsoft Learn and Microsoft AI Engineer
- Oracle University
- IBM SkillsBuild
- O'Reilly Online Learning
In addition to the annual computer security and harassment training that employees are required to take, some companies also offer internal resources for advancement. LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, CodeAcademy, and SkillShare are popular options. Conferences and trade shows are also good opportunities for new skills. They often have workshops or labs.
Of course, once you have acquired a new skill, be sure to add the badge or certification to wherever you keep your professional profile and share it out on your social media channels. I like to put them here on my personal website and my LinkedIn profile. Upskilling not only enhances your job security but also opens doors to new career opportunities and personal growth. Don’t wait for the next layoff scare. Start upskilling today and take control of your career future!
