How Marketable are you?

Business, work and technology are constantly changing – there are new methods, processes, markets and abilities being discovered and/or increasing in importance on a daily basis. Even for those who are currently ‘secure’ in your  job, skills and performance requirements change constantly and organizations place a high value on employees who can help them effectively navigate the ever shifting business landscape.

It’s important for us as professionals to stay relevant and competitive; this ensures your value in your current job and your attractiveness in the event you decide to change jobs. The only way to ‘future-proof’ your career is to keep your skills updated. So, what’s the best way to do this?

One of the best ways to upgrade your skills is to learn them on the job; seize opportunities for learning /exercising new skills by accepting challenging assignments or seeking new ways to do things. Experience based learning is considered more effective than classroom training. However, used intelligently, training courses can boost your prospects.

To enable a quick of analysis of how competitively positioned you are, consider the following questions:

·         What new skills would I need to have to perform my job in a different – a. Company, b. Sector, c. internationally?

·         What are the key trends for my job (and industry) in the next 3 years?

·         What new technology is being used in my job/industry and how can I use it to add leverage to my performance?

·         What skills are most highly valued for my job functions?

·         What skills are rare? Which ones are becoming obsolete?

·         What transferable skills do I have (can I learn)?

·         What are my current skills worth in the market?

Honest answers to these questions would give you a clear roadmap to build up your profile to top competitive position.

Here’s an interesting viewpoint from an experienced recruiter offering practical tips to keep your skills up to date http://www.headwaycorp.com/job_seekers/resources/keepingskillsuptodate.aspx

Also see this 1 min video that teaches you how to prove your skills :