RS LOGIN

Blog

What Should You Take Into Account Before Learning an In-Demand Skill?

Written by

Being proficient with an in-demand skill makes you attractive to employers. Many companies are offering high salaries and competitive benefits to technologists with specialized skills.

However, knowing which in-demand skills are most desirable can be challenging. Understanding which tech skills are popular in the job market can help you determine which one to pursue.

If you want to develop an in-demand skill, now may be the time to start. Knowing how to approach the process can help you map out the steps to attain your goal.

Follow these guidelines to learn an in-demand skill that can benefit your tech career.

Research the Skill

Data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and augmented reality (AR) are among the most in-demand skills. These skills will be increasingly important for years to come.

However, before deciding which in-demand skill to pursue, do some research. Find out which related skills you should learn, the certifications you should earn, and the job opportunities available. This gives you a clearer sense of whether you should pursue the skill.

Gather Feedback

Talk with tech professionals for advice on the in-demand skill. Find out how and what to learn and which issues to avoid.

Gathering feedback on the skill helps guide your path to learning about it. This may include whether you should develop the skill on your own or take specific classes.

Talk with Your Manager About Upskilling

Find out whether your manager will cover your education, training, and certification for the in-demand skill. Emphasize the benefits the company receives from employee upskilling.

Your manager may have part of the budget allocated for employee educational activities. If so, the business might cover your professional development expenses.

Publish Independent Work

When you become certified in the in-demand skill, create an independent project to demonstrate your abilities. Then, share your results on GitHub or your personal website.

Publishing an independent project helps you stand out among other tech professionals. It also can help you land a role focused on your new skill.

Ready to Advance Your Tech Career?

When the time comes to land a job with your new skill, make RightStone part of your search. Here is a link to our job board.

Charge Up Your IT Career by Upskilling

Written by

For the last decade, career advice has boiled down to a simple maxim: if you want a promotion, you need to change your job.

As more top-tier companies work to retain top talent, this advice no longer applies. Now, upskilling is one of the best ways to change the course of your career. By seeking new skills and reaching for new opportunities, you can find ways to move laterally or vertically in your company or into a new one.

Here’s how you can get started with upskilling in your career.

Make It a Habit to Learn Every Month

Upskilling works best when you commit to it long-term. However, you don’t need to enroll in a new certification or course every month. Instead, using bite-sized learning opportunities to pick up a new skill every month can help set you up for career-long learning.

Find something you’re passionate about, and get to grips with it piece-by-piece. You’ll find that you keep your learning achievable while also finding new ways to apply your lessons to your work today.

Learn from Team Members

Digital learning platforms are all the rage among Fortune 100 groups, but they can miss out on important learning opportunities that are right in front of you.

Your team members have more knowledge and skills than you know about. You can work together to ‘knowledge-share’ as a form of upskilling, which allows you to swap technical skills and practice teaching.

Invest in Your Soft Skills

Whether you work with technology or in technology, it’s important to remember that tech skills aren’t everything. Soft skills are also in need of continuous development, and they often get neglected.

Dedicate some of your time to developing yourself as a leader and a co-worker and honing your emotional intelligence. These skills will help you make the most of your tech skills and better position you for new opportunities.

Upskilling Can Change Your Life

Upskilling can do more than help you take the next step in your career. It’s also an opportunity to develop your passions, grow your life experiences, and enhance your ability to work and connect with others.

So whether your current employer offers a complete continuing education program or you need to cobble your learning experiences together on your own, upskilling is a worthwhile investment.

Are you looking to share your skills with the right client?  Visit RightStone’s job board to see what opportunities await you.

Back in the Game – Relaunch Your IT Career in a COVID-19 World

Written by

Whether you’re employed or looking to get back in the game, the current job landscape is full of uncertainty. Everything from where to how we work has been impacted by the last six months. But the uncertainty doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time to relaunch your career.

Here are a few tips for getting back in the game in a COVID-19 (and hopefully the soon-to-be-post-COVID-19 world).

Use Self-Analysis to Start

Everything around you has changed, and if you’re like most, some of your circumstances changed, too. So, now is a good time to check-in and re-establish what you’re looking for.

  • Are you able to return to your past roles?
  • Do you want to return to past roles?
  • What do you value from work now?
  • Do you need a flexible part-time option?
  • What would you compromise to get the right working conditions?
  • What supports do you need to transition back to full-time work? Do you have them?
  • Are you looking to transition to a new role or career?

Keep Networking

Who you know is going to be just as important as what you know when you re-enter the job market. But networking isn’t just about getting your foot in the door of a new opportunity. It’s also a chance to strategize.

By keeping up with the people in your network, you’ll know what’s happening in IT. You’ll hear more about the better places to work, what to expect from salary negotiations — and of course, about vacant positions.

Networking also includes reading. So, dive into industry and trade media to keep up with dier trends. Then, when you walk into your first interview back, it will sound a lot more like you never left.

Tailor Your Application and Transferable Skills

Today is not the time to send out 100 copies of the same resume. There’s a combination of huge pools of talent and far fewer opportunities to stand out in the process thanks to virtual recruiting.

As you apply for jobs that interest you, take the time to tailor your application to the role. Don’t worry if you aren’t a carbon copy of the job description. You can use transferable skills to make your application stand out.

Take the time to think about your skills and strengths and wield them to show recruiters what a strong candidate you are.

Consider Contract Freelance in the Meantime

Being stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t re-skill and up-skill. Freelancing and remote learning are a great way to get this done. You can not only pick up new skills but put them to practice.

Plus, both options give you a chance to practice the skills needed for remote contract work, which was already growing before the pandemic.

 

Are you ready to get back out there and wondering if this is a good time to re-enter IT? RightStone is placing candidates like you right now. Get in touch to learn more about our current listings and how we pair the right client and candidate.