Don't wait to be assigned with work. Make calls and check with seniors if you could share some workloads.
Enthusiasm and a proactive approach for work leave a good impression, says Narayan Mahadevan.
With a constantly changing tech environment, the future may require an application developer to step into the shoes of a blockchain engineer. Keep evolving with every update and make your qualifications future-friendly. Photograph: Courtesy Pexels.com
The lockdown has created a one-of-a-kind situation for us all.
It has unraveled dependencies on networks, collaboration tools, and fostered employee-organisation relationships by sensitising the latter towards its recruits. But beyond every unfavourable aspect, it is the current economic slowdown that has got us worried.
Fuelling the intuition further are the stories doing rounds in the employment space.
The lockdown and lack of revenue have triggered mass layoffs in some companies. Though employees continue to attend official assignments beyond official working hours yet, the fear of the unforeseen refuses to die down.
Amidst the chaos, an employee continues to ponder and doubt if his efforts are enough to save his job.
Given the present scenario, it would be only wiser to make things sunnier by yourself. It will not only help you in regaining confidence but will let you take control of the future. Here are some suggestions that may help you retain your present employment:
1. Upskill and evolve
Experiential learning matters. Upskill your existing skills by leveraging your time home.
Utilise this time to gain hands-on experience on newer skills or refine current ones.
It would be best to go for programs that are accredited or associated with institutions of repute that certifies your talent at the end of the course.
Certificates and recognition are a shining beacon of hope and can give you an edge during cut-throat competition.
2. Evaluate current profile
Job descriptions may mention some roles that we may not qualify for.
Sooner or later, we will be facing difficulties if not well-versed with those skills as it will hamper the way we perform our tasks on a daily basis.
Be adept at all tasks associated with your current profile and check if it is in sync with what your company needs.
3. Identify the skill gap
Due to multiple reasons such as lack of proper training institutes, an employee might not be aware of the practical/technical application of certain subjects.
This creates a gap between the talent required and talent available. For instance, a content writer may not know the process to upload a blog or might not be aware of the importance of SEOs.
A coder might not be able to update an application with enhanced GUI or be unaware of some nitty-gritty details of his field of study.
Identifying such voids and working towards eliminating them is a step ahead in strengthening your current job.
4. Build your competencies
Digital is the way ahead.
Companies who fail to transition digitally lose out on significant revenue. Hence, organisations too are keen on hiring someone who can help them create a niche in the digital domain.
It is high time to make yourself friendly with newer technologies and build competencies in the right direction with respect to technology and the amount of work.
5. Upgrade and update
Look for what your role could demand in the future.
With a constantly changing tech environment, the future may require an application developer to step into the shoes of a blockchain engineer.
So, keep evolving with every update and make your qualifications future-friendly.
6. Learn to multitask
Be open to learning and explore other roles.
Due to the crisis, there may be days with zero to abundant urgent assignments.
Assume certain responsibilities on your own. Exercising this will help you attain experience with works other than your domain and make you indispensable.
Being a jack of all trades is obviously an advantage in any organization.
7. Be proactive
Don't wait to be assigned with work. Make calls and check with seniors if you could share some workloads.
Enthusiasm and a proactive approach for work leave a good impression.
8. Be productive
While everyone acknowledges that work from home comes with its own sets of difficulties, it should not be taken as an excuse to lounge around.
Procrastination and unnecessarily shifting assignments to the next day might raise questions over your productivity. Hence, adhere to the deadlines.
9. Offer solutions
Take charge to diffuse the issues when faced with technical difficulties such as abrupt electrical supply or hardware issues with official laptops.
Keep your seniors and authorities informed. Offer ideas and suggest potential ways for the business to prosper.
10. Be Positive
Embrace a happy outlook on things and try to stay at your humorous best.
A negative attitude only builds up frustration that might make you lose temper on trivial matters.
This will also make you the talk of the town and highlight you for all the wrong reasons. You wouldn’t want that kind of attention while under scrutiny.
The aforementioned tips can help you from getting fired and will come in handy in the future. Learning is a continuous process and should not end with a job. In fact, each role comes with its own requirements. If an existing knowledge resource is doing no good to us, it is time for an add-on.
The present situation can be described as 'Who moved my cheese' and 'Survival of the fittest' theory put together.
As much as we need to continuously evolve and find ease with uncomfortable tasks, it is also a time to equip ourselves with the latest weaponry that further refines the craft.
Narayan Mahadevan is founder of BridgeLabz, a platform that is bridging the talent gap and providing skilled engineers to start-ups and enterprises. He can be contacted on ga@rediff-inc.com.
