Career Women Who Upskill Go Uphill
A recent Women in the Workplace report (McKinsey & Company) outlined that women were switching jobs at a faster rate than men, and that women in leadership positions were leaving in higher numbers than men. Oh, dear!
However, rather than dropping out of the workforce, most women were leaving their positions because they found their work environment — or as I like to call it, their work ecosystem — insufficiently satisfying. They left for companies with a more rewarding work culture or looked for ways to become self-employed. I found the same to be true in my research: Women who found themselves at a professional crossroads were able to find more fulfillment by adjusting their work-life trajectory.
What did these women all have in common? Throughout their careers, they invested in upskilling.
So, what exactly is upskilling? It’s the continued expansion of one’s skill set and capabilities. In this whirlwind world, we often have just a few windows of opportunity to prioritize our growth. The World Economic Forum predicted that 50% of employees will need to upskill or reskill by this year to keep up with the changing job market.
Now is an opportune time to reflect on how you might want to upskill in the next few months. Here are some ideas:
Maximize Your Skills
Take a free class or a paid class: What are you curious about or what skills do you know you need to improve?
Exchange skills with a friend: What would you like to learn and what expertise can you share in return?
Become a mentor: Help someone uncover their potential and learn new leadership skills along the way.
Check out these additional upskilling techniques for more inspiration.
Make Time
I can’t say it enough: If you don’t take the time to make time, it is very difficult to embark on any kind of change. That means blocking out moments in your calendar, just as you do for work and other important appointments. Don’t forget that you are your most important calendar entry — so make yourself a priority. (I started adding blocks of time dedicated to project preparation and it’s quite effective!)
Marvel in Memory Lane
To understand what you need, review what you have done to date. This might sound like a tedious activity, but nothing says “refresher” more than looking back on your career journey and taking stock of your greatest achievements and lessons learned. One activity that people often utilize is the lifeline exercise: Look back over your career and plot the peaks and valleys experienced over the course of your lifetime, looking for patterns and themes that stand out for you. These insights should point you to gaps in your expertise and experiences that you might want to include on your resumé.
Mine the Gap
Once you have identified your gaps, look to fill them! There is an endless amount of online learning you can explore, and a lot of it is free. The upside of this approach is that it can be primarily self-paced and accessible to you in your own time (the joys of flexibility and convenience!). If online learning is not your cup of tea, consider how you enjoy learning and can best retain information — perhaps a podcast or an in-person group?
Maximize Meeting Others
People, not processes, will land you your next job — so invest in upskilling your networking abilities too. While I know that submitting countless applications online is standard practice, there is data showing that 75% of all jobs are secured through a connection. So if you want to be a part of that percentage, continue to build your connections with those who have walked the path before and/or alongside you. This includes former colleagues, peers, and anyone who may be in some way helpful — stay connected. It doesn’t need to be much more than a bi-annual reach out. When reaching out to people, be crystal clear about what you're seeking — and remember, meaningful networking is a two-way street.
For more resources…
Read:
What’s Holding Back Your Career Development? (Harvard Business Review)
You’ve Reached an Inflection Point in Your Career. What Now? (Harvard Business Review)
What is upskilling and how can it future-proof your career? (BetterUp)
Reskilling in the Age of AI (Harvard Business Review)
Reflect:
Your Career Lifeline (Open University)
What have you done to upskill or reskill in the past month?