If you want to boost your professional value and build a better career, you’ll want to diversify and hone your skills. Personal finance writer David Carlson suggests periodically searching job postings to learn which skills are in demand.
Photo by Michael Coghlan.
In his book, Hustle Away Debt, Carlson says regularly looking at job openings can help you build the skills and experience you need in advance. This is obviously helpful if you’re planning to quit, but really, it’s useful even if you like your job. Learning new skills only adds value to your position, which puts you at an advantage when it comes time to ask for a raise or negotiate a promotion.
Here’s what Carlson suggests:
One thing that I do at least once every month or two is look at job openings for the next level at work. I look at what types of skills fall into the required section and which fall into the preferred section. I see what sort of credentials and background knowledge hiring managers are looking for. I look at what Technical and soft skills a desire. I don’t simply consume this information. I turn it into actionable items. If a majority of the jobs are looking for people who have worked with data, I would consider volunteering for projects that require me to query and analyse large data sets. I may even spend time outside of work building these skills (preferably through a side hustle).
You can check out more info in his book at the link below.
Hustle Away Debt [David Carlson]
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