The Advocate - Hepburn

In a post-lockdown landscape, digital skills are more vital than ever

In a post-lockdown landscape, digital skills are more vital than ever
In a post-lockdown landscape, digital skills are more vital than ever

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Prior to the pandemic, the world was heading in a digitally reliant direction. With adverts telling us to "look up" and social media dictating much of our lives.

However, over the last two years of lockdowns, the way we live and work has changed exponentially. We are more plugged in than ever.

Working remotely has become the new normal, exercise classes are replaced by youtube workouts and in-person meetings have been swapped for Zoom. So in a digital world, what skills do you really need?

In a world gone digital, why is it so important to be plugged in?

In April of 2020 underemployment hit a record breaking high with 1.8 million Australians working either reduced hours or none at all and by May, 870,000 people had lost their jobs.

Despite these statistics; by November of the same year over twenty nine thousand people had gained employment as information and communications technology (ICT) professionals with it ranking amongst the top three job gains between February and November of 2020.

Adding to your repertoire and enrolling in online classes, namely a digital marketing course, is an exceptional step towards diversifying yourself and your career and ensuring your career's longevity.

In a world returning to normalcy, why go digital?

In order for businesses to thrive, they need to evolve as the world does, and this includes the upgrades in technology.

A survey run by PWC stated that 77 per cent of not for profit organisations, in the context of COVID-19, found digital upskilling had become a higher priority.

No longer can businesses afford to ignore the growing importance of going digital; you either plug in, or get out.

In July of 2020 unemployment in Australia peaked at 7.5 per cent, the highest it had been in 20 years, businesses who were able to parlay their work online were able to survive, whilst businesses that couldn't struggled or shut.

By December 2020, the participation rates hit a historic high with 66.2 per cent of Australians working or looking for work; employers nowadays look for potential workers with an understanding of their software, from an executive assistant with a working knowledge of Excel office to a front end web developer with extensive experience in Adobe Suites.

Almost every industry nowadays requires its employees to have basic to advanced digital skills, and this won't end even if Covid does. Consequently, it is so vital to use the courses at your disposal.

Upskilling yourself by way of a digital marketing or data analytics course permits you to compete in an increasingly competitive job market.

Digital marketing's importance

In 2019, even prior to the hit of the pandemic, digital skills were acknowledged by approximately half of the industries that reported on priority skills in their forecasts.

A successful career in digital marketing familiarises you with digital marketing tools, Social media marketing, Content marketing and SEO knowledge to name a few, and by acquainting yourself with these tools you not only set yourself up for a successful digital marketing career but equip yourself with a skill set that is transferable to almost every industry.

So what's next?

Digital skills are integral to our growth in the professional world and many of us are choosing to turn back to study to grow our expertise, even long after the end of tertiary education.

In a post lockdown world, we know that a day in the office no longer necessarily requires a commute.

We can all work remotely and having digital proficiency is not only an enviable skill but a necessary requirement in order to progress in an ever-changing job market.