Learning digital skills is so important and lucrative in this digital age, but if you don’t do it the right way, if you don’t choose the right skills, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Do you want to learn a new digital skill or build a career in tech, but are not sure where to start or what to learn? Do you want to learn how you can choose the right digital skills to learn and build the future you want?
Digital skills are hot and in high demand right now, in fact, the demand for those with digital skills is more than the supply.
As we move deep into the digital age, most people are seeing the need to acquire one digital skill or the other. But there are a lot of them and new digital skills are being introduced and existing tools are being updated to aid this evolution.
Most people would want to learn these digital skills, but as a digital skills advocate and trainer, for over 12 years, I have noticed that for a lot of people, choosing the right digital skill isn’t as easy as it sounds considering the factors that come to play when prospective digital skills learners need to consider what digital skill is the best fit for them
So to choose the right digital skills to learn, look deep into yourself;
- Are you confused about what digital skill[s] to acquire that will sync with your career path?
- Are you stuck on a career path that doesn’t match your expectations and you’re thinking of a new career path in tech?
- Are you a digital skills sucker/enthusiast on a path to adding a new digital skill to your list of acquired skills, but you’re caught in the web of the many digital skills that exist?
- do you want to change career into tech, but you don’t know where to start from?
- Are you finding it difficult choosing the right digital skill that will align with what you are already doing?
Then look no further, this article would help you see the best way to choose any digital skill that will be good for you and help design your career path while providing a comfortable lifestyle.
1. Research on the skills you are interested in:
The internet is there for you and Google is your friend. There are a lot of digital skills available and with the dynamic nature of these skills, you should research what digital skill[s] you will need to advance your profession, provide you with that comfortable life you yearn for.
Pay attention to digital skills that are still relevant and up-to-date so that you don’t have to waste your time and finances acquiring a skill that won’t be beneficial to you.
Also, pay attention to those skill areas that you have a flair for. if you choose what you hate doing just because it’s in high demand and pays well, you will give up soon
The internet is your best friend while researching, so make great use of it.
2. Make A List of the skills you want:
The next step after researching, is to make a list of valuable in-demand skills that applies to your profession or you like you, and it should be in a hierarchy of importance, this would help you choose the digital skill that tops your list and start from there.
Never do research without writing them down, because you will forget them sooner or later. Also, remember that you may still be confused after making the list. But don’t worry, the next few steps will help you clear the confusion.
3. Compare And Contrast The Importance Of The Listed Skills To Your Profession:
Every profession has one or more digital skills that it requires to get the work done smartly and with ease, so take a look at the career path you want and research on the needed software or tool, make a list of the valuable tools that you will want to gain proficient knowledge of their usage.
At this point, the number of skills in your list from number 2 should drop.
Note: If you are new to ICT and computers, I mean if you don’t have basic ICT skills like how to use computer and Microsoft packages, you list should start from these basic skills before the career-based skills.
4. Get A Mentor:
This should have been the first step, step 1 to 3 are just there to help you do your homework.
To be successful in any ICT skill, you need to learn from someone or an organization that is already doing it and achieving success. An organization that has helped other people achieve success in the area you want to go into.
The mentor should now look at your list and give you his real-life experience and then help you arrive at the best skill for you.
Now that you’ve prioritized the skill[s] that would help you achieve your goal[s], you need a mentor or a training school where a trainer is assigned to you to guide you through your learning process.
This is important because acquiring a new digital skill most time is one that you need a professional to put you through, so having someone to guide you through this new chosen path is very important and these people necessarily don’t have to be older than you, they just have to be experts in the skill[s] you want to learn.
At this beginning part, don’t think going to YouTube to watch videos will help you. You may end up getting confused the more. Most YouTube videos are meant for those who have already learned the skill. It can then help them to upgrade or add to what they already know
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5. Be Consistent and Committed:
Consistency and commitment are very vital in learning and earning a digital skill, so have in mind that these two virtues would need to be activated for you to achieve your goal of earning a digital skill.
Conclusion:
Now that you’ve known the steps to take before choosing that digital skill, it is time to get started with learning and earning those new digital skills. Do not delay. There are so many opportunities out there for those who have digital skills. Most of these opportunities are not seen by those who don’t have the required digital skills.
When you acquired these skills, you will start seeing the opportunities.
Please remember that you don’t just make a list of skills just because they are in high demand and pay very well. You need to look at what you have a passion for. If you start what you don’t love doing, you may give up soon, remember hard times will definitely come.
On the other hand, don’t just choose what you have passion for even when it’s clear there is no demand for it, passion will not feed you.
Also don’t just base your list on what friends or family members who possibly live abroad are telling you. Some skills in high demand there are not here yet unless you are traveling thereafter learning or you can work remotely from here. A mentor can help you in this area.
If you are interested in learning new ICT skills, don’t delay it, take action now.
I promise you learning a digital skill would be one of the best gifts you’ll gift yourself in this digital age.
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