STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers are more important than ever before. With the current pandemic crisis, the world needs more people to become healthcare professionals, scientists, psychologists, data analysts, and so on.
However, in a blink of an eye, you have also witnessed how the pandemic has taken peoples’ jobs away. The world around us is indeed evolving at a breakneck pace. As the world changes, you need to be more adaptive, and so does your career.
To future-proof your career is to take steps to ensure that you can cope up with the changing workforce and you remain in demand and relevant in your field. Get ready and read through the following ways to boost your future employability in your STEM career!
1. Take charge and research.
Taking control of your career path is an important step to your career success. Take action by keeping yourself informed of developments and trends in the industry in which you work or aim to get into. Understanding that industry will be critical to your employability as you would want to work for companies with a bright future and strong viability.
Technological, socio-political, and economic changes would also likely impact your career. Therefore, stay updated by researching business trends and reading through reputable news and publications. Further, be prepared for possible shifts in your role or even in your career.
2. Be an eager learner.
Did you know that skills are considered the next currency for employment? Hiring for skills is increasingly becoming more popular than hiring for educational attainment. In addition, research shows that skills-based hiring is more advantageous to both employers and job applicants.
Striving for continuous learning would definitely help you add extra currencies to your skills wallet! So, go out and be an eager learner: revisit prior knowledge, improve on your current skill set, or try new things!
Again, you would never go wrong with research. Take some time and look into the sought-after skills in your field. For example, if you’re in the field of psychology, becoming well-versed in statistical software programs is a bonus. Psychologists need statistics in determining correlations between variables and drawing more general conclusions from data.1 If you become an experienced user of programs like SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), then you future-proof your career for companies or institutions that may be more likely to hire you. Employers are likely to value those candidates who can bring more to their company.
3. Stay classy, stay tech-savvy.
In a digitally transformed era, it is only right that you become digitally literate. Technological skills are essential in the workplace as these would help you work more effectively and efficiently. Basic technical skills such as email and social media management, word processing, and creating spreadsheets should already be in your CV.
However, pushing yourself to learn more advanced skills like coding and database administration would boost your CV. Regardless of role or industry, becoming tech-savvy is relevant. As the world becomes more reliant on technology, having technical skills would make you more versatile and ready for future developments.
4. Grow with a portfolio.
Portfolios serve as evidence of what you can accomplish. They are a compilation of your work samples that may include class projects, write-ups, events spearheaded, photos and other visual materials, and so on. They tell and show recruiters about your best skills.
When you keep a portfolio, you keep track of your professional development. One of the immediate things employers want to know is what you can do for them, hence a portfolio would make it easier for you to look back on your projects and achievements. As you seek job opportunities, having a portfolio on hand can also help you make your application stand out.
Furthermore, a portfolio encourages you to develop your professional identity through self-reflection. As it builds your accomplishments, a portfolio can build your self-confidence and personal growth, too. Check out our article on how to make a hire-worthy portfolio here.
5. Discover the perks of a network.
One of the best ways to open yourself to opportunities is through professional networking. There are opportunities that you might not be able to find on your own and networking may help you gain access to or attain such things. Networking creates a mutually beneficial environment wherein you may ask for insights from people in your field or other related fields or even ask for help or favors should you need one someday and the other person may do the same to you. For example, you
Start building relationships with people in the same field or organization as you and then expand your connections into different fields. If there are many people in your network, then there are also many people whom you may rely on for professional assistance. This can aid you in future-proofing or advancing in your job and achieving your professional goals.
6. Go global.
Speaking of networking, going global is another way you can seek opportunities. Now, more than ever, the world’s economy is increasingly global. Try to get international exposure by asking for projects that may involve international networking, reading about cultural diversity in the workplace, or even learning a new language. Going global can help you gain skills in cross-cultural communication and cultural awareness. This can future-proof your career and make you attractive to the global marketplace.
7. Don’t think twice—advice is nice.
When you seek advice, people let you in on something meaningful: their experience. Their experience and knowledge can aid you in various things like becoming a good employee, assessing how the current job market is, or understanding what being hired for the first time was like. Different people have different insights, hence seek advice as much as you can from anyone you know in the industry. Avoid hesitating to ask for help because this ability to seek out guidance and resources is important to career future-proofing and progression.
8. Watch out for other top-notch careers.
Finally, consider other in-demand careers; don’t be confined in one career path. For example, if you’re a civil engineering major who plans to practice the profession, you may also think about becoming an educator and teaching civil engineering one day. Civil engineering is a job that is less likely to be automated, and so do teaching and educational jobs.2,3 You may opt to pursue a master’s degree as well to increase your employability in the educational sector. Being open to these lines of work generally future-proof your career.
Conclusion
The future brings a lot of uncertainties, but you can look forward to it if you take one step at a time. If there is one thing that is certain, you can prepare and future-proof your career as early as now. So, remember our tips and save this article!
Want to learn more about how you can future-proof your career? Book a free consultation with us! Drop us an email at hello@outwiths.com!
References:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/application-of-statistics-in-psychology.html
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022017/7-jobs-cant-be-automated.asp
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