Economists say the employment market has turned and it’s going to be harder to land a job during the next six months as the economy slows. Official data in February 2024 showed the unemployment rate bouncing up to a two-year high of 4.1 per cent, as an estimated 22,000 jobs were shed in January.
So what can you be doing to future-proof your career and keep yourself ‘career fit’? Here are my top six tips:
- Bi-annual Career Audit
We get our car serviced and have a visit to the dentist every six months, so wouldn’t it be wise to also complete a regular career audit when everything is changing so quickly around us?
Most organisations should have an annual performance review but it pays to self-assess on a more regular basis to ensure that you are keeping your skills current (technical and people-related skills) to stay competitive in today’s market, not just for the requirements of your current employer. This also applies if you are a contractor, freelancer or business owner.
A career audit is a great time to update your resume with new skills, additional responsibilities and achievements or projects that you have accomplished during that period. Updating your resume regularly means that you may only need to make a few updates should you need to apply for a job due to an unexpected job loss.
2. Commitment to Professional Development
If you are fortunate enough to work for a progressive organisation then you may have many opportunities to upskill and learn new systems and technology. However, if your company doesn’t focus on learning and development, or you work for yourself, it may be time to stretch yourself and take more responsibility for your professional development. Short courses and free/inexpensive online courses can help you upskill quickly, particularly when it comes to technology.
We refer our clients to short courses regularly including Google Career Certificates, General Assembly, Alison.com, Udemy, Udacity, Coursera, Academy XI, RMIT Short Courses and The Digital Picnic to name a few.
3. Develop your people-related skills
There is no denying that robots and AI will replace jobs in the future but they cannot replace the need for people-related skills such as empathy, relationship-building, influencing and negotiation skills. If you are a technical expert, then it is important to continue to build the people-related skills that sit around your technical skills – previously called ‘soft skills’ but more recently referred to as ‘power skills’.
If this is an area that you need to work on, then find mentors or role models in your organisation or industry who you can job shadow or observe to develop these skills further. Seek projects or opportunities that will give you more exposure and regularly ask for feedback on how you can improve.
4. Nurture your network
You never know when you will be out of a job without warning regardless of whether you are a Graduate or an Executive. Businesses change rapidly and redundancies are real.
To future-proof yourself for a redundancy you need to build, maintain and nurture your professional relationships over the life of your career. Networking does not happen overnight and it isn’t just about asking for things when you have a need.
The best networking is done over the years between professionals who have mutually beneficial relationships.
5. A LinkedIn Profile is a non-negotiable
Having a future-focused, complete, professional and keyword-optimised LinkedIn Profileis a must-have to prepare yourself for the future and to maintain and nurture your network.
Consider whether your LinkedIn is up-to-date and describes who you are and what you want to be known for. This includes having a complete ‘About’ section that highlights your experience, skills and achievements and compelling content under each of your roles. Likewise, a photo with good lighting is a must.
LinkedIn is an absolute game changer for individuals seeking a career change, business owners, and freelancers as well as for professionals seeking their next role due to its research, job search and networking capability.
6. Pay attention to what is happening in and out of your industry
Another way to future-proof your career is to keep on top of what is happening in your industry as well as keeping an eye out for innovation in related industries. Process and technology innovation is not usually limited to just one industry so it pays to keep abreast of what changes are occurring both within and outside of your industry. How can you add value to your organisation by implementing innovative ideas to make yourself indispensable?
LinkedIn is a fabulous tool for keeping abreast of industry changes as well as attending industry events, and subscribing to industry publications and newsletters.
If you feel you need assistance with future-proofing your career, then we can support you with career coaching, job search coaching, interview preparation and developing a compelling and contemporary keyword-optimised Resume and LinkedIn Profile tailored towards your ideal next role.
For more information, contact Leah Lambart at leah@relaunchme.com.au or on 0413 558 758.
