Upskilling to Stay Fit in the Job Market

COVID-19 indeed has brought havoc in every sphere of our lives! Indeed, we live in the time of fear – fear of health and fear of losing jobs. As the world is almost under lockdown and businesses impacted profoundly, every day we hear news about companies downsizing their team strength. With businesses shut for months and no inflow of cash, companies do not have any other option but to let go employees who may not fit their future plans of survival & growth. Hence every employee is on the brink of war on ‘how to safeguard their job or jump to another ship’.

The only way to survive this crisis is keeping one’s skill constantly upgraded. And when the entire world is shut, e-learning is giving a shy of relief for those who want to fight the war of talent. According to LinkedIn’s third Workforce Confidence Index, around 63 percent of Indian professionals will increase their time spent on online learning. Industry knowledge, career advancement, and communication are the top three areas professionals are interested in.

The report further states that this increases in online learning is due to remote working, shrinking job market, the need for upskilling, and the need to stay mindful through these challenging times.

A diverse set of skills can take you a long way in this uncertain climate therefore upskilling has emerged as the need of the hour and it is encouraging to see Indian professionals leverage online learning to navigate the challenges

The survey further points out that 60 percent of Indian professionals want to gain more industry knowledge, 57 percent looks forward to learn how to advance their careers, and 45 percent wants to sharpen their communication capabilities through online learning.

Though professionals have upped their sleeves to upskill themselves, balancing household chores and office work remains a tussle for them. Hence around 43 percent of the professionals want to learn time management, stay organized and prioritize better. But being emotionally strong and learning something interesting is also on charts of many professionals; 30 percent and 40 percent respectively. “A diverse set of skills can take you a long way in this uncertain climate; therefore upskilling has emerged as the need of the hour and it is encouraging to see Indian professionals leverage online learning to navigate the challenges,” says Ruchee Anand, Director, LinkedIn Talent and Learning Solutions, India.