Developing your skills in your current job

Improving your job skills makes sense for a number of reasons. Better skills can help you do your work tasks better. This can make you feel more secure in your job. Better skills can also help you find and keep another job in the future.

Get together with your supervisor and discuss how you could improve your job performance. With your supervisor’s help, identify new skills you could learn or develop. These may include technical or job-specific skills, such as using particular computer software or operating certain machinery. You may also identify general skills that apply in any workplace. These skills could include communication, teamwork, leadership or time management.

Setting a plan to develop your skills

Create a plan for your skills development by discussing it with your supervisor. Make sure the plan is realistic and specific. Set dates to reach particular goals.

You may be able to build skills through ‘on the job’ training and general help from your co-workers. You may consider asking someone who has the skills you need to mentor or coach you. In other cases, training courses may be a better option.

After an agreed period of time, review your plan to check the progress you have made.

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