Mirror Mirror on the Wall, am I the Upskilled of them All?

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, am I the Upskilled of them All?

If there’s anything that cinema, businesses, education, etc., have taught us; it’s that being mediocre or average simply doesn’t cut it. As our most beloved series - The FM2 - has taught us: “Don’t be a minimum guy.” While that may be hard to believe or understand sometimes, it is in fact the truth. No matter what industry one looks at, some element or the other constantly keeps changing, evolving, and transforming for the better. 

As a society too, we have come a long way throughout history. Humans have been witness to massive technological, political, cultural, and geographical changes. While some elements of change may as well be beyond our control, there are some that we still have a certain amount of grasp over. A few decades ago, being an M.B.B.S was a matter of immense pride and glory. Today however, things are a lot more different. People are exploring and moving towards career paths within medicine that weren’t even thought of until several years ago. In fact, today what matters most are the kind of skills that you bring to the table, regardless of your profession. 

Every single individual is required to exhibit a certain level of critical thinking skills, knowledge and passion for their craft, the ability to constantly keep developing and consuming new information thrown their way, and the competence to grow and change with time. Doesn’t it sound like a job description? Believe it or not, upskilling has now become extremely important in our lives. But what is it exactly? Why is the word suddenly becoming so popular, and how is it that somebody like you and I can ‘become’ upskilled? When it comes to upskilling, the first few things one must readily possess is digital, analytical, and organizational skills. Once you have those in your bag, the next thing to do is to enhance these skills and take things one step further. How does one do that exactly? This is best done by incorporating your skills into a completely new area; almost like moving into uncharted territory. 

The catch though, is to ensure that even while you are upskilled in the rat-race that is today’s life, are you the most upskilled when compared to everybody around you? This may not be the easiest thing to judge, especially if one has nothing to measure it against. After all, upskilling in itself is a concept that can never be constant or stagnant. As the times, job requirements, and industries change, upskilling too is going to shape-shift a lot more. So how do you know whether you are the most upskilled of them all? Yes, it does take an immense amount of introspection and self-questioning. After all, what’s possible without the same? 

First things first, make a note of all the skills you possess that could turn out to be relevant in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world. For some, it could be skills like SEO Marketing or Social Media Management. For others, it could also be things like AI Engineering, Cloud Computing, or Product Development. No matter what the industry, company, or location, every single one of them requires people that have mastered and made the aforementioned skills their own. These skills not only teach you how to become the most competitive candidate at any HR interview, but also ensure that you’re offering capabilities that are a notch higher than what everybody else brings to the table. In fact, it is only with upskilling in these areas that you can genuinely demand and achieve what you’re worth. In a world like today’s where everybody is looking for new opportunities, the best part about upskilling is that it can be learnt. All it takes are courses online or connecting with industry experts and leaders professionally. Begin networking and reaching out to people, and upskilling will start flowing naturally right from the first conversation. 

There are some things that upskilling consists of which nobody talks about, but everybody wants indefinitely. These soft-skills not only provide an accurate image of you as an individual, but also suggest how valuable you’d be to an organisation. Empathy, problem-solving, time management, creativity, the ability to be collaborative, and adaptability are something that can take you far. While the debate of machines and robots taking over our jobs still remains an unsolvable debate, the fact of the matter today is that being emotive, humble, accommodative, and communicative are going to be extremely valuable assets in your journey towards upskilling. Not only in the workplace, these are extremely crucial things that can sometimes help us make necessary changes within our psyche and core values too. 

Emotional upskilling too, plays a vital role when it comes to holistic development and problem solving abilities. Knowing how and when to communicate is essentially of utmost importance regardless of the kind of setting you’re in. What’s more, your interpersonal skills and the capability to handle relationships judiciously is what adds up to emotional upskilling too. One should always be able to perceive, control, and evaluate a situation with fairness. 

The world is filled to the brim with knowledge. There is so much of it out there that one life isn’t nearly enough to consume everything that we would want to. However, that definitely does not mean that you cannot attempt to do so. Even if you’ve finally achieved the degree you’ve worked so hard towards, landed your dream job, or are a confused student, upskilling never stops. A little bit of research is going to open the doors to seamless resources. The best way to go about it is to begin consuming research papers, news articles, journals, podcasts, and scenarios that are relevant to your skills and the industry that you’re passionate about. Rest assured, that there are probably hundreds of new things, discoveries, and events related to what you love that are happening every single day. There is absolutely no alternative to staying at the top of your game when it comes to upskilling

What most people fail to understand is that upskilling requires a lot of mindful activities and working upon ourselves too. No matter where you operate from, taking care of your mental health is imperative. In fact, tapping into your mind can also allow you to understand what works for your development and growth, and what doesn’t. This way, you can craft a personalized and bulletproof schedule and plan of action for yourselves that will help you immensely on your journey towards upskilling. Set a routine, reward yourself, work on your bad habits, and take breaks from burnout and anxiety whenever necessary. 

After you have finally ventured into the big wide world that is upskilling, make it a point to constantly keep maturing in your field. Once you begin learning new skills, working on your empathy, and being more mindful, get out of your bed. Ask yourself— “Mirror Mirror on the Wall, am I the most Upskilled of them All?” The answer is going to be a big, fat, unparalleled YES!