You can’t fail to have noticed the change in the workplace in recent times; the world of work is changing. With a current skills shortage, the opportunities are there for those prepared to embrace lifelong learning and stand out from the crowd.
Isn‘t lifelong learning just a buzzword?
Lifelong learning has been around forever; it‘s just that now the working world is beginning to place real value to it. Skills are in short supply in the job marketplace and technology is moving fast.
According to Forbes, the average human doubles their knowledge every 13 months, and IBM predicts that in the next couple of years, the volume of information will double every 11 hours.
Scary stuff.
And a report by the Pew Research Centre found that 87% of workers believe it will be essential to train and develop new skills in their working life to keep up with workplace challenges in the future.
Top billers are already in a prime position to address these future challenges. They have a natural aptitude to consistently rise to challenges and smash their targets. They are known to deliver their promises and are respected by those who work with them and those they work for.
As well as great sales prowess, the best billers embrace development and understand the need to evolve and improve continually.
The techniques used in sales have changed over the years – is your strategy as effective as it used to be? Perhaps you need to consider doing things differently?
You may want to think about using referrals (link to referrals blog here) to boost business, and you will need to embrace technology, but take time to think about your soft skills – they play a big part in helping you build and maintain successful two-way client and candidate relationships.
Upgrading your soft skills
“Soft skills apply to a much wider range of high-growth, high-salary positions than any specific technical skill,” Cushing Anderson, program vice-president of Project-Based Services at IDC
Soft skills provide flexibility to advance in your career. They include attributes such as your problem-solving capabilities, motivation, attention to detail and critical thinking ability.
It will also boost your career chances if you develop excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and are a good team player.
Additional capabilities, such as the ability to speak a second language or have speciality IT knowledge, are advantageous in a competitive job market too.
Even if you’re not looking to move, strengthening your soft and hard skills, and developing a portfolio of diverse expertise, will help you stand out to your employer for those career advancement opportunities.
And, did you know that increasing your skills also contributes to a feeling of self-worth and job satisfaction?
Get out of your comfort zone
Top billers are generally single-minded in their desire to succeed. They are driven and willing to put in the hours, and value ways which can help them improve. So, usually, the acquisition of learning isn’t a problem for them.
However, occasionally, we can all feel stuck in a rut. Maybe you don’t feel currently challenged enough, or that you‘re experiencing difficulties in taking the next step in your career?
If this is the case, you need to push yourself to take on a new challenge and engage your mental state of flow. You need to get out of your comfort zone and learn new skills to achieve greater happiness.
And guess what? Happy people make more money.
Win-win.
Back to school?
The mention of learning often has people thinking back to their school days. However, embracing lifelong learning doesn’t have to mean going back to school or college. There are many low cost or free online learning options.
Plug and play learning has risen in popularity - like going onto YouTube for a recipe suggestion when you’ve nothing for dinner – it’s an easily accessible platform to develop skills and provide bite-size learning options quickly.
Similarly, online talks and virtual group discussions offer excellent training options as well as networking opportunities to boost your career prospects - as do face to face events, workshops and traditional training in the workplace or classroom.
Podcasts are another great learning tool. There are many to choose from, and you can listen to them while working out or on your daily commute.
Network
Social learning offers the ideal opportunity to network with others who you may not have come across in your specialist field. It provides the chance to connect with new people, has new conversations and develops new working relationships.
It’s also possible to get a word-of-mouth referral through your new connections - meaning your network can even help you find great candidates for your clients too.
Keep ahead of the pack
Lifelong learners are always one step ahead, ready for any industry shifts and well-placed for career advancement. Remember, the skills you learn now are not just about what you learn but how you use that learning to flex and adapt to the future and become a top Billing Recruiter.
Until next time
Cheryl
