The modern jobs market is changing. Technology is having a massive impact, with many roles now digital and fresh positions appearing thanks to tech innovations. This is nothing new, as the job market has continued to adapt and evolve across hundreds of centuries, but if you’re considering a change in career path it’s important to be aware of what the current job market holds.
While it’s never too late to retrain for a modern job, here are a few things worth considering.
New Skills Required
It’s little surprise that technology skills are important across many industries nowadays. If you’re looking to improve your CV, research has shown that the tech skills most highly valued by employers include:
- Big data (mining, modelling and more)
- Software management and development
- Cloud skills
- Mobile and app development
- Web development
- Technical support
Database administration and project management are also sought after for a variety of roles. That’s not to say you should forget about historically desirable traits such as strong communication, teamwork and organisation – they’re still highly valued. Yet you may need to learn and/or hone modern technology skills to be competitive in the current job market.
Training and Resources
Plenty of training courses (both on and offline), exist to help those looking to retrain. Whether you’re hoping to enter a specific career and know that it requires a university degree or certain qualifications, or just want to refresh your skills with a quick course, many opportunities exist to do so.
Enrolling in a short course can be expensive but the money spent should be worth it when you manage to change careers. Even if it’s only three months, you will need to be financially prepared to cover the costs. For a cheaper alternative, there are plenty of free online resources, from blogs to videos, that can help you learn a variety of tech skills.
Organising Your Time
Retraining for a different career while holding down a job is a lot of effort and will require plenty of dedication. Splitting up your time efficiently is incredibly important therefore, and the easiest way to do this is with evening or weekend classes, enabling you to learn new skills around your current role.
Or if you’re desperate to switch roles in the near future, although risky, it may be worth taking time off work and dedicating a few weeks or months to retraining fully. A lot will depend on the role you want and your current financial and dependency circumstances.
Remember, it’s never too late to retrain for the modern jobs market. Just make sure you’re aware of and have developed all the skills required to help you secure that next role.
