Imagine you are a professional with 12 years of experience, currently based in Nigeria, and a recruiter in the Canadian job market reached out to you for a job. In this job, you are not required to be physically present in Canada, they only need you to work remotely for the duration of your employment, but you do not even have any remote skills. Would you be considered for the job? I think you know the answer.
After spending over a decade building your expertise and making a name for yourself in the industry, it’s time to start winning and attracting global opportunities, but a global recruiter tells you that your skills have become outdated, and you need to update them. What will you do? Rant? Scream at the top of your lungs or maybe tell the recruiter that they do not know what they are saying because what do they mean you- an executive director in your organization- do not have an updated skill set?
Well, I know such a response will leave you bewildered, and probably extremely stunned because being an executive director means that you are a thought leader with value in your industry, so how possible is it that your skills are not valuable on a global stage? Let’s get right into why your expertise can quickly become obsolete in today’s job market, and three ways you can avoid it.
Here is Why Your Expertise Can Become Obsolete-
Within the 10+ years you have used to garner your expertise and build your skills, many changes have happened. The world is evolving rapidly, and this means that many things including your skills can become irrelevant and outdated with time, especially if you are not working towards adapting to this evolution. With the speed at which these changes occur, if you do not update your skills, you will get left behind sooner than you expected.
How to Stay Relevant
Are you asking- how do I ensure my skills remain relevant and valuable in today’s global job market? Here are three essential ways-
1. Update your Skills to Stay Competitive Globally
When the world evolves, especially in a highly beneficial way, grow with the world by continuously learning because it is the key to staying ahead of the outdated skills curve. By constantly pushing yourself to hone your skills, you ensure you will always remain relevant. Start with the remote skills if you do not know what skill to pick. Statistics have shown that remote skills would be here for a long time, and as someone who seeks to remain relevant, you must develop these skills.
You can do this by taking online courses to improve your skills. I will highly recommend the Remote Workers Program at the Skilled For Work Academy by I-Train Africa.
2. Position Yourself as a Global Expert
Being visible and recognized will keep you and your skills relevant. While competency is excellent, being visible is greater. Let people see you, your works and your value offerings. You may find it hard to get to the global stage until you position yourself as a worldwide expert. Not only will visibility and recognition keep you relevant, it will also open numerous doors to international opportunities.
You can build your global presence by optimizing your profile and building a strong brand that showcases you as someone with authority.
3. Research Global Players in the Market
As a seasoned professional, you should never aim to stay boxed. Since you seek ways to ensure that your skills do not become obsolete, you must keep an eye on other players in the global market- Look at the opportunities they are attracting, how they are getting them and with what they are winning the international opportunities. Find ways to know the skill set they are leveraging on, and find out what is working for them. This will give you an idea of where to start.
Staying relevant in today’s world is a necessity. For seasoned professionals like you, you need to ensure that you do not get left behind because the changes of today’s market are moving at a high speed.