A new year has begun and we’re sure you’d be ready with your list of resolutions! And yes, we know some of you would want to get fitter, some would like to quit a bad habit, but the majority of you would like to upskill yourself.

Why do I say that?

Well, as we know that the last year was all about adapting to the new situations: be it the regular work from home, or not seeing your colleagues for months, there was 1 thing that was constant for us all. We all had to learn more in our respective domains, not just because there were job security concerns due to the businesses being affected by the pandemic, but also we all had a LOT of extra time in hand! And what better way to spend that time than by learning something new that would assist in achieving your professional goals.

So, as we are in 2021 (yes, finally!), how about creating a list for career resolutions?

Start the year with pledging to spend at least 21 minutes in a day to learn a new skill you’ve always wanted to. 

Why #21For21?

Because 21 minutes are short enough to focus without being overwhelmed and can contribute towards learning a new skill! We’ll be happy if you can devote more time with practice. With this thought, here are the 5 career resolutions to make in 2021 to make yourself proud of your work by the year end.

Here I’ve listed down 5 career resolutions to make in 2021 that will help you make the most of this year:

• Learn a new skill: You should always aim at strengthening your soft and hard skills at work. If you are looking forward to expanding your knowledge base, read about topics of your interest on the internet, watch videos and take up courses that will help you get better at your career. Learning a job related new skill will help you build expertise in your field.

• Grow your career – Employers are on a constant lookout for employees who aim at growing in their job role. It is not just about filling in the work hours but about really making an impact on your work. You can make an impact by learning what is dominating the industry you are in. It will not only increase your confidence but also bring professional satisfaction to you. Furthermore, it will open a pandora box of better, high paying jobs.

• Join an online program – There is a whole world of online learning, waiting to be explored! All you need to do is take advantage of the resources available to you. And what better way to do the same than by joining an online program that sharpens your skillset! It will give you a fair chance to polish your resume, and develop a reputation as a professional who is a problem solver. It is because of this growing adoption of online learning that the global corporate learning market is expected to grow to $50 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of 15%.^[1]

• Stretch your role – What’s the point of doing a monotonous job where there is no exposure to a challenging situation? But, as it happens at times, that we are not ready to look beyond a job description we signed up for! Don’t fall into that zone and always be ready to stretch your role, by taking on new responsibilities to gain experience.

• Find a mentor – You must be thinking: I don’t need one! I am doing fine the way I am working currently. But we don’t want to stagnate at our jobs and grow, right? Working with mentors will transform your life. A number of studies have stated that mentoring offers multiple benefits to the mentees, including improved attitudes, better motivation to work and get better career outcomes. 

Final words

As you decide to learn a new skill, you want to be sure that it is in demand in the present market so that you actually benefit after taking up an online program. As per Linkedin Emerging Jobs Report 2020, the roles in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science have ranked amongst the top 3 in every region of the world.

Thus, even if you are a newbie or a professional in these domains, you can upskill yourself by taking up the AI programs: Post Graduate Program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Business Applications OR Post Graduate Program for Leaders, offered by Texas McCombs, in collaboration with Great Learning. These are the best artificial intelligent courses online. For data science, you can take the Post Graduate Program for Data Science & Business Analytics, offered by Texas McCombs, in collaboration with Great Learning. This data science program is one of the best online data science courses that will allow you to learn data science.

These programs follow a structured learning approach with lectures by the faculty from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, which will give you comprehensive knowledge in the chosen field. Also, there are mentoring sessions every weekend that will introduce you to leading industry experts in the field of artificial intelligence and data science. You’ll be able to learn from their experiences and also gain valuable insights from their experience, which will help you grow in your career. Interacting with mentors can set you up on the right path. By the end of these programs, you’ll be rewarded with a certificate from The University of Texas at Austin.

The one thing that sets these courses in the field of AI and data science apart from others is that they offer a dedicated Program Manager, who will be your go-to person regarding academic queries. Not only this, your Program Manager will also handhold you through the entire learning and upskilling journey. 

The end product of this, as you can visualize, will be a wholesome learning experience that will definitely help you tick all the boxes of making your professional life better in 2021. So, to this I say that: NOW is the time to make a change in your career trajectory by joining the domains which are the most popular in the current times and are only expected to grow as the year rolls by.

Which course have you resolved to take up and upskill yourself in 2021? How are you planning to apply the habit of #21For21?

Do let us know in the comments.

Source:

[1]: Stratistics Market Research Consulting Pvt Ltd. (2019). Corporate E-Learning – Global Market Outlook (2017-2026).  0