How to make this the best decade for your life and career

Fostering an environment to move your career forward, is both an inside and outside job. 

“We have to make the necessary internal changes in terms of our self-development while acquiring the necessary skills to propel us forward in our lives and career.  Angela Te Roller, HR specialist at Boston City Campus joins us to share’s some strategic tips to make your career move in 2020:

1. What are our transferable skills and how can we leverage them as assets in the current employment market?

Transferable skills (portable skills) are skills such as communication, problem solving, leadership, dependability, technology literacy, organization – which are valuable to employers across different fields and jobs.  Use your past experience to create a common thread through all your positions to create a skills set that is your USP, that differentiates you and your skills from your competitors. These skills are often found in degrees such as the Boston Bachelor of Social Sciences. These are the skills employers seek in the current employment market.

2. While artificial intelligence is resulting in the automation of certain jobs or tasks, can we still have the upper hand with our soft skills?

Artificial intelligence means that hard skills alone are no longer enough to be successful. And while a particular programming language may go out of fashion, creativity, adaptability, and collaboration skills will always be valuable.

The LinkedIn annual Global Talent Trends 2019 report puts soft skills as the #1 in demand skill.  According to LinkedIn behavioural data, creativity is the most in-demand soft skill in short supply. While many people only associate creativity with art or design, it’s a skill that’s applicable to almost any role. Creativity is simply solving problems in original ways—a skill that machines can’t easily replicate. In fact, in demand soft skills include adaptability, collaboration, teamwork, persuasion and time management.

3. What is the role of having effective time management skills in moving our career forward?

Time management is a key soft skill which enables you to prioritise and focus your attention on tackling projects.  This skill involves learning to say no, be decisive, take action or delete tasks, batch routine tasks, eliminate distractions and create breaks to recharge. Some people have this inherent in their work ethics; others have to develop it through digital and written reminders, and an understanding team and other prompts!

4. How can learning contribute to our well-being and our career?

Curiosity means wanting to know more about something, it also allows you to be open to exploring new ideas, experiences and possibilities.  In an age of Artificial Intelligence and revolutionised work places, we need to upskill and adapt. Look at the qualifications Boston has on offer and find something that will increase your value to employers. 

5. Empathy or being able to place oneself in someone else’s shoes is a uniquely human ability.  How can we practice this and facilitate better communication with others?

Simon Sinek and Oprah Winfrey cite empathy as an essential leadership skill.  This enables you to see a situation from someone else’s point of view and ask more thoughtful questions, fostering a deeper connection.  In turn, you’ll be able to better understand your customers, colleagues and partners, using these insights to better SERVE and communicate with them.

6.  How can we move out of our comfort zone and past fear?

Fear often masquerades as a cloak of protection, keeping us from doing things that may cause us harm.    But this same inaction and caution that prevents you from getting hurt also causes you to stagnate.

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear.  It’s time to breakthrough to the other side and just go for it!”