We are living through one of the largest skills gaps in human history. Related: The ‘Skills Gap’ Issue For Job Seekers Mid-lifers and Millennials alike are unskilled for the demands of the workforce today and into the future. This skills gap has been driven by a technology surge in the early 2000’s that has spawned a new era of employment. These new areas of employment include an integration between business, marketing, and creative services. Many Baby Boomers who are currently in the corporate environment today have the appropriate skills and business acumen for the day to day operations and administrative tasks of their job. However, many of them are lacking new media marketing skills as well as skills in creative content development. What employers are looking for today and into the future are employees who are multi-faceted. The old school approach of getting a college degree in a specific field and throwing new skills out the window after graduation is over. These days, you must constantly be learning and re-learning new skills that are associated with your field. It’s no longer good enough for example, to simply be a marketing manager. You must also have a keen sense of content development and online marketing skills as opposed to just traditional marketing. As it pertains to the skills gap, Millennials are also at a tremendous disadvantage as they were educated in a college environment that doesn’t provide educational diversity. This can largely be blamed on a higher education system that hasn’t evolved with the needs of employers today. Both mid-lifers and Millennials can rejoice in a solution to gain the skills they so desperately desire without going back to college and without breaking the bank. The solution is online education. When I say online education I am not referring to distance learning programs from accredited universities. I’m referring to programs from industry-leading education platforms such as Lynda.com or Udemy.com. For less than $50/month Lynda.com gives you access to an ever-expanding catalog of courses taught by industry-leading experts from companies such as Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft. Udemy.com is also a valuable platform. Udemy has democratized education by offering individuals the ability to create educational courses based on their fields of expertise.' Although you may be skeptical about the quality of educational courses taught by regular people, fear not. Udemy courses are rated by students giving you an indication of the quality of each course. Udemy also offers a 100% money back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with a course you purchase. Both of these outlets offer beginner, intermediate and advanced level training in some of the hottest and most in demand skill sets of today including graphic design, web design, computer programming, app development, coding, Microsoft Office, video editing, social media marketing, and more. While skipping a 4-year degree or an MBA in replacement for higher education online may not be fully accepted just yet, it’s closer to mainstream adoption than you may think, as employers today are more interested in verifiable skills as opposed to simply having a college degree. A survey by Gallup states that “only 9% of business leaders say that the school on a candidate’s diploma is “very important,” compared to 84% assessing knowledge in the field and 79% looking at applied skills.” If you’re getting left behind in your career as a result of a skills deficiency, fear not. There is hope for you and it doesn’t require you to go back to college.
Everyone has heard of New Year's resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves about things we'll do better in the year ahead. Sometimes these resolutions work, while other times we end up with gym memberships we never use! But have you ever heard of a career resolution? It's actually the same thing as a New Year's resolution, only career-focused.
However, with something as important as a career, you don't want to break these resolutions. That's why it's important to keep these goals manageable.
Here are four simple career resolutions that are easy to stick to and achieve.
Be Self-Aware Of Where You Stand In Your Career
BigstockBeing honest and self-aware of where you are in your career is the most important step in making strong career resolutions. If your career is going nowhere and you're unhappy, then it may be time to consider a career change, which will take you down a different path entirely.
But if you're happy and in good standing with your career, it's a lot easier to set goals for the year and build out a long-term career plan.
Find A Way To Grow Your Career
BigstockCareer growth is a very broad spectrum that means something different to everyone. It could be something as simple as improving on a weakness or building on a strength. It could also be learning a new skill or taking on additional responsibilities at work.
On a larger level, it could be seeking a promotion or moving into a leadership role.
Whatever the goal is, make sure it includes growing professionally. The worst thing you can do is stay the same! If you're not growing your career, you're dying—and becoming a lot less valuable to your employer. There are always ways to upskill!
Better Serve Your Professional Network
With current colleagues, former colleagues, and other professional acquaintances, you've probably built a solid professional network through the years. A strong professional network can come in handy if you lose your job or are looking to make a career change. However, you shouldn't just rely on your network when you're in need!
It's important to find ways to offer value to your network. This could include checking in with members of your network from time to time. Exchange messages on LinkedIn to see how they're doing or share relevant content of interest. If you can help someone in your network going through a career challenge, you should!
Maintaining a strong professional network is like an investment. If you want it to pay off, you have to put some time into it and be consistent.
Take Care Of Yourself
Bigstock
Working on your career is hard work! It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Whether you're working to grow your career or looking for a new job, it's important to find balance.
Your family and health always come first, so make sure your career goals don't interfere with that. If you want to set aside time during the week to work on your career that's fine, but don't miss important family events or milestones.
Don't let your career goals get in the way of your health goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, or go for a jog. Balance is key to maintaining healthy career and life goals. Sometimes you just need to adjust that balance as you go.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.