Fight skill obsolescence
SO YOU are the boss. Your team members look up to you for guidance as you are well armed with your degrees and have been around for a long time enough to be valued for your experience. But, are you sure you are not obsolete? As a leader and as a manager, are you in sync with the times? Are you keeping yourself abreast of the latest trends/skill sets? If you were looking for employment, would you hire yourself?
Just how do you come to know that you are going off your career path? How do you know you have become obsolete?
Ask yourself these questions:
Do you envisage any career objectives for yourself for the next two to five years? Or, is it that you don't have any plans and simply depend on events and momentum to advance your career? If you can't seem to think what you are aiming for in the near future, you might be out of sync with your times. So, think through what you want out of your career and write down some objectives in order to stay in touch!
While you are at it, are your career objectives being hampered by opportunities within your own organisation? If you still perceive your career as one without boundaries - that is, craft a career objective independent of your organisation - you still have that spark left in you.
Keep track of the skills that are in demand in your field and also what skills are becoming obsolete? Which of the two do you possess? The world is constantly changing and you should upgrade your skills in tandem. Failing which you become... obsolete!
Do you compare and share career information with your friends and acquaintances in your field? If you have not done it for quite some time, then you are resting on your oars!
What skills would one need now to get employed in your present position? Do you have them? All of us have skills that make us competent in some areas and, at the same time, less competent in others. The question is, what skills do we need to acquire to remain employable?
What is your market value? If you were to enter the job market today, would you be overpaid, underpaid or paid fairly? Check this out
So, what do you do to keep yourself abreast of the times?
Draw up a plan for yourself and discuss it with your higher authorities. Make a frank assessment of your skills and plan to work on the skills you need to learn. There will be skills, which your organisation may or may not be able to help you with. This is where you can consider investing in yourself by taking up courses or attending seminars that are relevant for your career advancement. If you limit your learning to the courses your company is willing to sponsor, then you are narrowing your ability to learn. Don't let this happen. In a 25- to 35-year career, your skill set should change several times. The responsibility to acquire new skills lies with you! In this backdrop, there is only one person who can prevent you from becoming obsolete - that's YOU!
MALLIKA JAYASHEELA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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