Training to be competitive in today's job market

 In today’s economy, what is the better training strategy: learn a different skill to add to my resume or improve my present skills?

 Most businesses today are under pressure to be profitable. Survival has become more important than strategic growth. Because of this, the emphasis in hiring has shifted to improving the bottom line. Thus, most managers want to hire those applicants who will be productive immediately. In short, experience is critically important.

 Learning a different skill is not likely to bring you the tactical advantage you need when seeking a job. When you apply for a job in that new area, you will probably be among the least qualified applicants. You also will not have the necessary experience.

 Your training now should focus on deepening or broadening your current expertise or skills. To deepen you skills means to learn more in the same area of experience. For example, if you are an experienced Lotus Notes programmer who got certified 5 years ago, study now to be certified again in Lotus Notes programming. Your experience and the new certificate will give you a competitive edge over other applicants who also have years of experience but no new certificate.

 To broaden your current skills means to learn something new but related to the things you do. For example, if you are a certified Lotus Notes programmer, try to be a certified Lotus Notes administrator. If you are an Oracle programmer, train to be an Oracle Database Administrator. If you are a web page designer who knows Javascript, you should learn to code in Java as well.

 The reason broadening your current skills is strategic has to do with your importance to business continuity. Imagine the importance of  an Oracle programmer who can revive a database server when the Oracle administrator is sick or on vacation. Some companies lose thousands of dollars every minute the database server is down.

 Skill diversification is not very effective these days. Many programmers who trained in network administration are very frustrated. Likewise, many network administrators who trained in programming are frustrated as well. In today’s economy, the better strategy is to be the better expert in your own area of experience.  

Career Tips - Deepening and broadening skills
by Ray Colorado July 23, 2002

 Copyright (c) 2002 by PinoyTexas.com  Published July 23, 2002