How to keep your skills sharp for the future of work

The future of work is changing faster with each passing day. New skills to learn and ideas for careers to explore are emerging, due to the changing landscape of working models and accommodating technology. It’s important to keep your skills sharp for a number of reasons, but the biggest reason is the speed of current technological developments.Technology is a disruptive force that affects every industry. Formerly considered strong careers are now giving way to tech-based jobs, and some jobs are disappearing completely. The best way to overcome this disruption is to develop in-demand skills that will be most useful in the future of work. These skills will help you stand out from the other talents in your industry as a powerful and versatile worker, who is not afraid to learn new things. There are a few ways you can keep your skills up to date, all of which can be done while retaining your current job.

Join a freelancing community

As a solo talent, a great way to continuously improve your work and polish your skills is by connecting with like-minded professionals. Whether it’s to get feedback, exchange career and industry tips, or recommendations for the best events and courses to attend, establishing relationships with your peers can help you grow and develop.Some communities, like RuulSchool, offer various resources and learning materials to help with upskilling and building new skills. You may also find webinars and other types of online events useful for keeping up with trends.

Attend a trade school

One of the best ways to add to and future-proof your skills is by attending a trade school near you. Unlike more traditional forms of higher education, trade schools are far cheaper and offer numerous online options. Additionally, trade schools feature specialized courses that can prepare students for a specific career in as little as a year’s time.The online options mean these schools can be attended in conjunction with whatever job you have now. If you want to keep your skills sharp, consider attending trade schools that offer courses in data science, cybersecurity, or other related fields. Trade schools are the way of the future, and recent reports indicate that attendance is rivaling that of colleges and universities.In fact, 27% of trade school graduates are estimated to make even more money than their university graduate counterparts. It’s up to you to take advantage of these educational institutions and upgrade your skills for the future of work.

Try coding bootcamps

Similar to trade schools, bootcamps feature specialized courses that equip students with a specific skill. Unlike trade schools, however, bootcamps can often be completed in a number of months and still provide students with a comprehensive education. Should you feel that you don’t have time to attend a year-long program like in trade schools, attending a bootcamp might be a better option for you.Coding bootcamp courses teach a variety of coding languages to students in a matter of months. If you have a limited amount of free time and don’t have the means to attend school physically, online coding bootcamps may be your best choice for keeping your skills sharp.Many bootcamps are open to complete beginners, which makes them a safe space to figure things out with guidance, and without pressure. The number of bootcamps you can choose from has been rising in recent years, as a number of fields, such as data science, have begun gaining popularity.

Consider a graduate program

If you have the time and financial means, attending a graduate program is one of the best choices for enhancing your education and skills. A master’s degree will definitely earn you some more respect in the eyes of employers, and if your new degree relates to your current company, some employers may even sponsor part of your learning experience.Even if you don’t know exactly what kind of graduate program you want to study, do some research and narrow down what fields or areas of study interest you. You might find a program that can help take you to the next step of your career. If you think you can apply the education to your current field or a field you would like to enter, graduate programs might be the way to go!

Skills for the future of work

How do you keep your skills sharp at a time when the world seems to be changing in ways we never thought of before? By the time you finish learning a new skill, it’s probably time to update another one. However, there’s no need to get overwhelmed. The catalyst behind these fast changes, namely advancing technology, also inherently bears the solution. You can learn new skills and sharpen the ones you hold in so many different ways than you could before. You don’t need to attend a physical school, you don’t need to move cities to attend workshops or seminars. Virtual learning tools are the saviors to keep up with everything new.Adjusting for the future of work doesn’t end with updating skills, however. Especially if you’re a solo worker, entrepreneur or freelancer, you need to get familiar with online platforms that can make your job easier for you, and save you time to learn new skills.Our all-in-one platform Ruul empowers all free-spirited workers of today to shape their own careers, under their own rule. All those admin tasks that take up so much of your time; invoicing, late payments, drawing agreements, and more can be managed from one single platform, from anywhere in the world, with Ruul. Register to Ruul now,  join RuulSchool, and explore what the future of work can look like for you!