How to Adapt Your Career Through Retraining

As an HR professional, I've seen candidates who invest in upskilling significantly outperform others in interviews and salary negotiations. Let me give you a comprehensive roadmap: Step 1: Skills Gap Analysis Current State Assessment: •⁠ ⁠List all your current technical and soft skills •⁠ ⁠Review your recent performance appraisals for feedback •⁠ ⁠Ask trusted colleagues or managers about your strengths and improvement areas •⁠ ⁠Compare your skills with job descriptions you're targeting Market Research: •⁠ Study 15-20 job postings in your target role/industry •⁠ ⁠Identify the most frequently mentioned skills •⁠ ⁠Note the "nice to have" vs "must have" requirements( use platforms like naukri) Step 2: Prioritise Your Learning High-Impact Skills to Focus On: 1.⁠ ⁠Technical skills- that appear in 70%+ of your target job postings 2.⁠ ⁠Certifications - commonly mentioned in your industry 3.⁠ ⁠Soft skills- like leadership, communication, project management 4.⁠ ⁠Industry-specific tools* and technologies Create a Learning Priority Matrix: Divide them into Urgent + Important, Important but not Urgent and Nice to have Step 3: Choose Your Learning Methods For Technical Skills: •⁠ ⁠Online Platforms: Udemy, Coursera, Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning •⁠ ⁠Free Resources: YouTube, FreeCodeCamp, Khan Academy •⁠ ⁠Hands-on Practice: Create personal projects, contribute to open source •⁠ ⁠Industry Certifications: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Salesforce, etc. For Soft Skills: •⁠ ⁠Communication: Join Toastmasters, practice presentation skills •⁠ ⁠Leadership: Take on cross-functional projects at your current job •⁠ ⁠Project Management: Get PMP, Agile, or Scrum certifications Step 4: Create a Realistic Timeline While doing that try to learn everything at once as it's better to master 2-3 skills well than to have surface knowledge of 10 skills. Step 5: Document Your Learning Be it in the form of Portfolio/GitHub, Certifications, Blog/LinkedIn Posts, Metrics Step 6: Practice and Apply Maybe ⁠volunteer for projects that use your new skills or ⁠Mentor junior colleagues (develops leadership skills) or join professional communities and forums Step 7: Skill Validation ( Do it before Job Applications) •⁠ ⁠Take practice tests for certifications •⁠ ⁠Get feedback from industry professionals •⁠ ⁠Join relevant LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions •⁠ ⁠Attend virtual conferences and webinars Hacks: Pomodoro Technique, Weekly learning goals Final Pro Tip: Start learning while you're still employed. It's easier to learn without job search pressure, and you can immediately apply new skills at your current job, making your experience more valuable.

Want to Future-Proof Your Career in Just 30 Minutes a Day? Here’s How I Did It—And How You Can Too. Let me tell you a quick story. Few years ago, I realized I was coasting. I had decades of experience—but the world was shifting fast. AI, automation, remote leadership… and I was behind. So I made a decision: 30 minutes a day. Every day. I would build one on-demand skill at a time. Digital tools. Strategic analysis. Data literacy. Personal branding. Each one stacked on the next. Why? Because I didn’t want to just stay relevant—I wanted to stay valuable. I didn’t want to hope I was making an impact. I wanted proof. And you can do the same. Here’s what worked (and why it will work for you): 📚 Best Resources to Develop On-Demand Skills • LinkedIn Learning – Courses on leadership, project management, and data tools. (Search: “How to develop business analysis skills for operations”) • Coursera/edX – Certifications from Google, Wharton, and IBM. (Use long-tail keywords like “free project management courses with certificate”) • YouTube Channels like Ali Abdaal, Crash Course, and BetterExplained – Bite-sized, well-researched tutorials. • Skillshare – Perfect for creative professionals and side hustlers. • BONUS: Join free communities on Reddit and Discord for live feedback and peer review. How to Track Your Progress and Prove Your Value • Use a Skills Tracker spreadsheet. List every course, project, and reflection. • Log what you’ve applied—not just what you’ve watched. • Create a “Value Portfolio” – Highlight projects that show measurable outcomes. Ex: “Reduced processing time by 40% using Airtable automation after completing a Zapier workshop.” • Build public proof: Post on LinkedIn weekly. (It builds trust and a trail of credibility.) Turn New Skills Into Real Career Opportunities • Reverse-engineer job postings with long-tail keyword searches like “remote data analyst jobs requiring no degree.” • Match your newly gained skills with specific employer pain points. (Tip: Use tools like Jobscan to optimize your resume for ATS.) • Use your “value portfolio” in interviews. Show, don’t tell. • Get into informational interviews—ask: “What skills made you stand out in your role?” Then align. Because companies aren’t just hiring resumes anymore. They’re hiring results. If you can show: • “Here’s the skill I built,” • “Here’s how I applied it,” and • “Here’s the measurable outcome”… You stand out instantly. Set a Goal: 5 New Skills. 90 Days. Track them. Share them. Apply them. Whether you’re in leadership, operations, marketing, or starting fresh—this strategy qualifies you as someone serious about leveling up, not coasting. If you’re a mid-career professional wondering if it’s too late? It’s not. I’m living proof. Let’s grow on purpose. #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #CoachingForSuccess

𝟵𝟳 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝟲 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 AI is transforming industries faster than we imagined. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 85 million jobs will be displaced, but 97 million new ones will be created. The real question is: Will your career adapt to this shift, or risk being left behind? Back in 2018, I decided to pivot into AI. Here’s exactly what I did to make the shift, and how you can do it too: 1 - Learn the Fundamentals: Don’t wait for your company to train you. Back then, I joined one of the first executive AI courses at Stanford University. ↳Today, platforms like LinkedIn Learning ( 1 click away ) and Coursera make it easier than ever to start. ↳Own your learning—curiosity is your greatest advantage. Follow people like Andrew Ng who is always sharing great content and free here. 2. Integrate AI Into Your Current Role: I started small by incorporating AI into strategy discussions, product improvements, and productivity initiatives. ↳Whether it’s better forecasting, writing, smarter customer engagement, or automating workflows, go find a way for AI to add value in your role right now. 3. Play to Your Strengths: Pivoting doesn’t mean starting from scratch. ↳I didn’t try to become a data scientist—I focused on using AI to innovate and reinvent businesses, which was my core strength. Find a niche within AI that fits your expertise, and build from there. 4. Rebrand Yourself: Update your job title to reflect your focus on AI. ↳Add “+ AI” and show your commitment by writing, speaking, or even teaching about how AI impacts your field. ↳Thought leadership is built by taking action, not waiting for permission. 5. Be Relentless About ROI: AI is powerful, but it’s not cheap. ↳Avoid the hype by always tying AI initiatives to measurable outcomes. ↳Knowing exactly how AI creates value will set you apart as a strategic thinker. 6. Build Your Career Path Around AI: Once I integrated AI into my work, I expanded further—joining AI companies, advising startups, and eventually writing a book (coming soon) about the field. ↳These moves weren’t without risk, but they aligned with my vision for the future. AI has become central to everything I do, and it’s been worth every step. For additional inspiration, follow Allie K. Miller—a top AI influencer whose career pivot from an employee in AI to an entrepreneur and evangelist in the field has inspired many people, including myself. Let me know the steps you are taking to make AI part of your career. If you like this post share it to network ♻ #AI #JobsOnTheRise #GetHired2025 #career