How to upskill during COVID-19

Even with the strictest lockdown measures behind us, the world still isn’t quite back to normal. Despite this, it’s important not to lose sight of your career goals or give up on your professional development for the year.

So, with so many places still closed and events cancelled, what can you do from home to start building your career skills? And what skills should you focus on?

The skills employers will be looking for post-COVID

The UTS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit put out an interesting article that examines what skills are likely to be in demand in a post-COVID world:

1. Understanding and analysing data

‘We have access to more data than ever. We need skilled people who understand how to access and interpret data so organisations can make the best use of it.’ (x)

2. Security and risk management

For a majority of us, technology now makes up a big part of our lives. This means that ‘our online and offline privacy is becoming a focus’ (x). As such, the workforce is going to see an increased demand for specialists in this field.

3. Change management and business transformation

With the pandemic truly highlighting how important resilience is for workplaces, it makes sense that many businesses will now be on the lookout for ‘people who can innovate, as well as handle, implement and champion change’ (x).

(Be sure to read their article in full for more advice).

How to upskill from home

As a UTS student, there are numerous online resources you have access to that can help you develop the above skills, or others skills needed in your field.

UTS Open

UTS Open offers free online taster courses that can help you enhance your career skills. From ‘Ethical Leadership’ and ‘Making decisions in uncertainty’, to ‘Make your own podcast’ and ‘Cryptocurrencies’, there are a number of interesting self-paced options for you to explore.

They also offer a number of paid short courses that have been designed collaboratively with industry, if you’re looking for something a bit more in-depth.

LinkedIn Learning

You also have access to LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com). Offering a wide variety of topics to choose from, you could upskill in SEO for Social Media one day and Excel the next.

Plus, many of the lessons are less than two hours long, making it a productive (but relatively stress-free) way to spend an afternoon.

Recruitment skills

If you’re looking for a way to increasing your employment potential and ace the recruitment process, we’ve got you covered.

We have a number of resources you can use to start working on your career skills. From advancing your video interview technique with the Video Interview Practice Tool, to step-by-step LinkedIn advice, you can build those employability skills in no time.

Or, if you’re looking for some more interactive skill building, be sure to keep an eye on the upcoming events in CareerHub. There are workshops and webinars running all the time that let you ask questions and build some of the skills or know-how relevant to your industry.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash