Domestic Development: 5 Tips For Upskilling From Home
It is important to regularly upskill and enhance your knowledge and skills in a competitive workforce.
This can be challenging for people that are already working, have families and may not have the time to attend traditional training courses to get these new skills and knowledge.
Fortunately, there are many ways that you can upskill from home during the hours that suit you, allowing you to prepare for a new career or a promotion in your chosen field. Here are some simple ways to upskill from home to set up your future.
Take An Online Course
There are many online courses in Australia that can help you level up in your chosen industry from the comfort of your own home.
Since the eLearning Industry has grown by over 900 per cent since 2000, you can easily find an online course for almost any skill you want to learn. The eLearning market is also showing no signs of slowing down, with growth projected to reach over $240 billion globally by 2022.
Taking online courses from home is more convenient, but it is also a more efficient way of learning because, on average, eLearning courses can be completed almost 60 per cent faster than in-person classes.
You have more flexibility when you study online. The coursework can be accommodated around your other commitments (such as your work, families and hobbies). You’ll have even more flexibility if you take an online class, where you can go at your own pace and don’t have to log in at a specific time.
Researchers have found that 44 per cent of online learners reported improving their employment status, such as securing a full-time job within a year of graduation, and 45% per cent reported an increase in salary.
So there is little doubt that studying online is a terrific way to upskill and land that dream job or promotion you have been dreaming of.
Make Connections With Other Professionals
Aspiring job seekers can network with experts on professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn. People will learn the nuances of the job roles they wish to apply for, as well as improve their interpersonal skills.
Additionally, it is the ideal tool for identifying successful professionals across industries and understanding the skills needed.
Having connections allows you to get help from others and offer support when needed. A network is a mutually beneficial system in which your effectiveness and usefulness in professional settings increase as you expand your network.
Subscribe to Podcasts
After a long day at work, reading a book or taking an online course might not sound that appealing. Try listening to a podcast instead if you want something that is significantly less hands-on but no less effective.
Podcasts are available on pretty much every topic these days. Many of them are completely free and can be used in the background while preparing food, cleaning, or even while you’re walking.
Podcasting allows you to present microlearning in bite-sized chunks, a feature that can be crucial for skilling and upskilling. With so many things to learn, it is easy to break a large concept down into smaller components. This makes it easier for you to get consistent training in an era where everyone is busy and time is scarce.
Participate in Webinars, Conferences, and Virtual Events
The initial COVID-19 outbreak wasn’t the only reason we switched from the physical world to the virtual one. Before the outbreak of the Coronavirus, videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and MS Teams had already gained popularity.
Taking part in virtual events, conferences, and webinars could make it easier for you to adapt to a way of learning, networking, and collaborating, which is likely to remain the new normal long after COVID-19.
Virtual conferences often are shorter than traditional conferences, with fewer live sessions, and allow attendees to access pre-recorded content at their own pace to balance the demands of work, study, and childcare.
Master the Use of New Technology
In a highly technological, interconnected world, people in “non-tech” roles still need a certain level of technical proficiency as much as those in creative jobs.
If you work from home, you’ve probably already had to become familiar with remote working tools and technology. Now is a great time to learn more about video conferencing, collaboration tools, and other platforms that you are now regularly using.
Tech moves at such a rapid pace that it can be easy to fall behind, so it pays to learn skills that will be useful well into the future.
Businesses and society at large are being challenged by the speed, scope, and impact of technological change. This means that upskilling is not just about learning new skills and about new technologies, but potentially upskilling for brand new jobs in emerging industries that are being created every day.