The future of work gets closer with each passing day, and preparing your skills for that future is the best course of action to follow today. Remote work is here to stay, as many companies have seen the benefits of this form of work.
Your skills may not align with the future of work perfectly, but updating your skills is the best chance you have at staying relevant. Technology is a disruptive force of change that is guiding the workforce, and, as a result, pursuing skills based on technology is a great strategy to follow today. However, you are likely wondering how exactly you can pick up these essential skills:
Find a Trade School Near You
Trade schools are a unique form of education that differs significantly from traditional colleges or universities. Unlike conventional forms of education, trade schools can offer specialized courses that prepare students for a particular career path. Few people are aware of just how expansive trade school curricula can be, but they indeed challenge traditional institutions.
To that end, identifying trade schools near you and the courses they offer can set you up for a new career. A benefit of trade schools is the ability to take them completely online and defer tuition, if needed, at some schools. This makes it an appealing option for anyone currently working full-time or who doesn’t want to pay the high price associated with college.
Countless trade schools across the country provide education to many around the world. Considering how quickly one can graduate, trade schools are an excellent choice for anyone who can’t spare the time for a full graduate program. Schools such as Fullstack Academy can teach students a wide range of topics related to web development in 17- and 26-week programs.
Consider Attending a Tech Bootcamp
Technology has allowed educational institutions to evolve into things that have never been seen before. This makes them controversial and has taken society some time to accept them, despite their curricula being competitive. Similar to trade schools, tech bootcamps have risen in popularity over the last few years. You can find a detailed list of bootcamps on BootcampRankings.
Depending on the field, some tech bootcamps can prepare you to enter a new field at any stage of your life. For perspective, data science bootcamps are becoming popular and sought-after institutions that have made a field that used to require a master’s degree accessible to a broader audience. This ease of learning makes it a great way to acquire a new skill while maintaining your current career.
Bootcamps have become so popular in recent years that attendance now rivals that of even some more traditional forms of education. Eighty-three percent of graduates from some bootcamps have reportedly been hired in positions that pay competitive salaries when compared to those who graduated from traditional backgrounds.
Identify What Students Focus on Now
Studying today’s trends can provide insight into the future direction of work. Focus on what students are studying to see where the workforce is going. If everyone had done this over the last decade, there would be millions more coders or programmers out in the workforce. See the types of students your own company is recruiting and focus on the skills they boast.
There are some key analytical skills that all recruiters enjoy seeing on resumes, and identifying and developing these can help set you apart. Consider identifying a career that you want to enter. Go look up the skills needed to enter that career and see if they overlap with your own skills. If they don’t, that’s a good indication that you need to find some way to develop those skills, whether it be relying on trade schools or finding your own way.
Conclusion
The future of work is coming faster with each passing year. In general, it’s always a great idea to update your skillset in a dynamic way that sets you apart from any competition and reaffirms your value as an employee.
However, change is a natural phenomenon, and the workforce is poised to undergo a period of transformation. Adapting your skill set for this future can save you from job loss and allow you to set yourself up in a dynamic and fulfilling career.
