Learning new skills is essential for personal and professional growth. If you are looking to level up your job search, you should expand your skillset. You have to try different types of skill development—up-skilling, multi-skilling, and cross-skilling.
What are they, and how can they help you improve yourself? Keep on reading to find out.
Up-skilling is gaining higher-level knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. For example, suppose you are a marketing manager. In that case, you can up-skill yourself in finance, human resources, and other areas to gain a more holistic view of the organization and its functions.
The term also refers to gaining more significant experience in one’s job to develop a new skill. For example, a junior coder can up-skill by learning HTML and CSS to create websites.
There are many benefits of up-skilling for workers. For one, it allows them to spend their time on the tasks they are most qualified for based on their career background and skills. For example, a financial analyst or a marketing manager can work on their core competencies without wasting time trying to learn a new skill.
Moreover, this approach also encourages workers to broaden their horizons and understand their organization or field in-depth. This enhances their productivity and makes them more valuable to their organization.
Multi-skilling is the process of doing more than one thing simultaneously but with the same amount of skill. For example, a business analyst can multi-skill by writing code and managing support and development teams.
The term also refers to having conversations with clients, staff, and other stakeholders while working on multiple projects or managing numerous teams.
Like up-skilling, multi-skilling is also great for workers as it allows them to develop a more holistic understanding of their company or field.
In addition, multi-skilling is a great way to increase productivity and can be a valuable alternative to budget cuts or other productivity-related issues.
Cross-skilling is the process of acquiring skills in related areas to boost productivity. For example, if a marketing manager is looking for ways to get more done at work, she can learn some coding skills from her junior colleagues to solve the issues herself or manage her team more efficiently.
The term also refers to employees doing different tasks or working outside of their usual job description for a certain period to increase their productivity.
Cross-skilling allows employees to be more creative and develop more ideas while doing their work. This can be great for businesses as they can save time and budget by letting the workers handle various tasks.
Which One Is the Best Strategy to Pursue?
While up-skilling, multi-skilling, and cross-skilling are all great options for workers, it is essential to assess your situation and learn about your strengths and weaknesses to find the right strategy for your career development.
For instance, it won’t make sense for a technical writer to start learning design skills unless they are deliberately looking to move into a design-related role.
Skill development is an essential part of your career, and it should continue until the last day of your working life. It helps you become more confident and competent, which employers love to see. Whether you are an entry-level employee or a senior executive, you can up-skill, multi-skill, and cross-skill to learn various skills without sacrificing your core competencies.
Are you looking for job opportunities that will allow you to continue improving your skills? Download the Job Get app today. Once you register and design your profile, you can start the job hunt and connect to hiring managers.
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