“You snooze, you lose.” My favourite analogy when it comes to staying abreast of developments in industry is Nokia. Remember those guys? Remember how they dominated the cellphone market? You know what, forget Nokia. What about Blackberry? Remember how Blackberries ruled the world and it seemed like no one would ever topple their reign? And then what happened.
Don’t be Nokia or Blackberry. Don’t be the next titan that’s going to come crashing down because they have their head in the sand. Every year, universities are churning out fresh graduates who (hopefully) have been studied the most recent research in your field. They are smart, they are fresh, they are eager. You don’t want to be the dinosaur in the room, referring to theories that have been debunked. You want to be the one who can balance the experience of being a mid-career professional with the open-mindedness required to stay cutting-edge. This is how you stay razor-sharp.
Maybe you work in a company that is really keen on developing the competency of their employees. It’s tempting to think you’re getting the best possible learning from them already. But you must remember that the companies value innovation and cultivation of an external mindset among employees. Wouldn’t it increase your value if you were the one who always had the brand new, creative ideas?
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Subscribe to a blog, website or newsletter that focuses on your industry.
Are you a banker? Google “blogs on banking”. I can almost guarantee that no matter the niche you work in, someone somewhere is curating the latest research and developments of the industry in a blog. Find that blog and subscribe to it. -
Sign up for an industry-related conference
It’ll be an opportunity to learn and network. You never know where the next opportunity will come from. You don’t know who your next mentor will be. -
Join a professional body.
Apart from opening up even more opportunities for you, membership of a professional body also signals expertise. There will be opportunities for you to be certified and this, more than anything else, is what tells people that you’re on top of your game. -
Finally, share your expertise.
This is a logical conclusion to all the preceding steps. So for instance, if you can’t find a blog that fits in with the particular segment of your industry that you’re in, that’s a sign that you should start one. If a blog seems too intimidating, how about sharing your insights on LinkedIn? You could also take it a step further, and present a paper at a conference. Not only does that mark you as an expert in your field, again, it provides you with opportunities to progress in your career. Many professional bodies offer short courses and continuous education programs for workers. You could volunteer to teach one of those courses as a way of cementing your influence in the industry.
How do you make sure that your skills stay relevant in this fast-paced world?
