3 job experts on the one thing you should do for your career in 2020

The career experts are in agreement: you'll have to skill up to get ahead. (Source: Getty)

On the hunt for your a job? If you were wise, you would have started looking in December.

But even if you’re not in the market for a new gig, there are some smart moves you can make to set yourself up for success in the future.

Yahoo Finance asked three experts about the best thing you can do for your career this year.

The answers were resoundingly similar: it’s all about upskilling.

• Also read: 154,000 jobs to be filled: How to skill up for the AI revolution

• Also read: Career expert reveals 5 predictions about the job market in 2020

• Also read: The top 10 fastest-growing workplace skills in 2020

Soft skills are just as important as hard skills

Earlier this year, the Future of Skills Report found that over half of Australians (53%) think the skills they need to succeed are changing rapidly, with 39 per cent actively feeling daunted by the pace of change in their industries.

While traditionally the onus has been placed on technical skills, the report found that Australian businesses now place the same value on soft skills (50%) as they do hard skills (50%).

So in 2020, it will be important that all Australians seek out learning opportunities that help them to upskill with both soft and hard skills.

LinkedIn Learning Courses is one way they can do this. The most important take out for Australians is that they must diversify their skillset and be prepared to adapt to the changing nature of jobs.

–Shiva Kumar, careers expert, LinkedIn Australia and New Zealand

You can’t afford to get complacent

To take advantage of the future job trends that these tech advancements will help to create, professionals need to have relevant skills and given the rate at which technology evolves, no professional can afford to rest on their laurels when it comes to developing their technical skills and qualifications.

It’s never been more important to prioritise skills development in order to stay relevant in the market.

–Nicole Gorton, Director, Robert Half Australia

Don’t stop learning

One thing candidates can do in 2020 for their career would be to work on their soft skills over technical skills. This would include their ability to communicate, influence, negotiate, manage, inspire and lead.

Execution and education is important but the art of “influencing” has become an increasingly popular request from all employers in majority of recruitment wish lists we received across 2019.

Something else which sets top talent apart is their commitment to personal learning and development. Companies are looking for professionals who are constantly striving to improve themselves professionally by seeking continuous improvement even outside of their current organisations.

This is important and could be found in the form of coaching, networking, mentorship from top industry leaders.

–Sung Ho Lee, Regional Director, Michael Page Australia

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