5 Ways You Can Upskill in Your Finance Career (2024)

91% of employers say that upskilling or reskilling increases productivity and also influences how they promote employees and whether they look externally or internally for upper management positions. Other surveys show that over 60% of employees say that upskilling helps them positively see their job or career and increases their motivation at work. So, what are you waiting for? Here are five ways you can upskill your finance career!

The most in-demand skills:

Do you know what the most in-demand skills are? If the answer is no—you better start learning because this is a surefire way to put together a great upskill strategy. It’s important to know what employers are looking for. Some recent surveys show that leadership, problem-solving, higher-level AI knowledge, project management, communication, and digital/social media literacy are among the top skills employers need and are looking for. By increasing your skill-level in these areas, you can easily start to map out a great path for your financial career.

Get a mentor/be a mentor:

When new employees join, employers are always looking to their staff to help with onboarding and “breaking in” the new staff. Consider mentoring as a great way to upskill. Mentoring helps you learn leadership skills, and also brushes off some “older” skill sets you may not have had to rely on in a while. Outside of this, being mentored by someone you respect and look up to at work gives you an opportunity to learn some of the company’s more nuanced “management” skills. It also gives you a chance to network because being mentored introduces you to new people and “circles” you may not have congregated with previously at work.

Extended education:

Upskilling means increasing your knowledge—it’s not necessarily learning something new (although that’s never a bad thing), but it means taking something you have a basic understanding of and doing a deeper dive to become an expert in it. A great way to upskill your financial career is to take some external course work or credit hours. The world of finance is always expanding and changing, and it’s good to keep up with that change. Many companies look for employees who take the initiative to continue learning.

Increase your EI:

We aren’t talking AI, we’re talking EI—Emotional Intelligence (also known as EQ). Developing emotional intelligence can often feel more like “being spiritual” rather than creating a new skillset. That is because it’s all about nurturing a deeper awareness and understanding for the emotions in yourself, and thereby increasing your awareness and deeper needs of others you work with. This is a vital upskill strategy because being able to intuit staff needs and having a greater understanding of what clients need can help you gain a deeper appreciation for the company you work for. It will also help you understand where you want your financial career to go in the future.

Set goals:

When it comes to upskilling, set timely goals. Review what it is you’d like to accomplish; separate your hard upskilling goals from your soft upskilling goals (i.e., communication, leadership skills), and set realistic timelines to work on each goal.

Upskill with PrideStaff Financial

PrideStaff Financial has consistently won awards for exceptional candidate-job satisfaction. Our highly skilled staffing consultants can help with your upskilling strategy or help you find the right career fit. Contact us today to learn more.