She completed a branding and social media marketing experiential course with RMIT Online, which led to her being offered a role as Marketing Coordinator for Strongroom AI in Melbourne six months ago.
More than two in five (44%) of workers are currently or planning to look for a new role in the second half of this year, while a third would consider changing jobs for the right offer, a research by recruiter Robert Half.
Low wages, lack of career progression and unhappiness with job content were the top three reasons why professionals looked for work.
Ms Whittier hasn’t looked back since taking part in the digital jobs programme, which she said was free and suitable for people like her who weren’t “particularly tech-savvy”.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it. When I first applied, I went into it with such minimal expectations and I really can’t believe how much knowledge, growth, experience and skills I’ve gained through this opportunity in such a short period of time.” said Mrs. Whittier.
Under the initiative, students complete a 12-week course through a range of education providers, followed by 12-week placements at employers including ANZ, Salesforce, Carsales, Amazon Web Services and MYOB.
According to experts, the tight labor market and skills crisis in many industries has meant that there has never been a better time for workers to consider a career change.
Andrew Brushfield.
“The job market still favors the worker and it’s a good time to explore the job market and take advantage of opportunities that offer better pay, greater challenge and more flexibility,” said Andrew Brushfield, director of Robert Half.
Brushfield said industries facing shortages, such as technology, finance and human relations, tend to be more open-minded when hiring candidates because of their potential to grow into a role in instead of waiting for a “perfect technical pedigree”.
“Those with excellent critical and analytical skills or those who bring excellent commercial acumen to a role, for example those with a legal background, are well suited for business advisory or business analyst positions within finance,” he said.
“Exceptional experience in time management, stakeholder management or events experience could be suitable for a role in project management. Communication skills can be the most transferable and lend themselves to roles of customer service, sales and talent acquisition”.
Short courses and micro-credentials are one way professionals can improve skills and prepare to change careers, and even industries.
“Companies are increasingly looking for skills and are much more open to hiring candidates who have obtained short course qualifications or micro-credentials,” argues RMIT Online interim chief executive Claire Hopkins.
RMIT Online interim CEO Claire Hopkins says short courses and micro-credentials are an easy way to switch industries.
Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Blockchain and Business Analytics are the most popular short courses at RMIT Online.
Software development and statistical analysis jobs were among the fastest growing on ASX-listed Freelancer.com in the second quarter of this year. But after rapid growth, crypto-related jobs have plummeted in the wake of this year’s “crypto winter,” the website’s latest quarterly index reveals.
Professionals looking for a change may consider freelancing or even taking on personal projects to bolster their experience.
“For example, many people who want to move into coding work on personal projects that can demonstrate their skills and connect them with other coders,” Ms Hopkins said.
“That’s why we incorporate practical assessment into our short courses, to allow you to apply your skills to a business problem, resulting in a great portfolio of work upon graduation.”
Recent research from the Boston Consulting Group reveals that more than a third of “deskless” workers who need to be physically present for their jobs, such as construction, manufacturing or healthcare workers, are at risk to leave his role in the next six months.
Given that roughly three-quarters of Australia’s workforce was “deskless,” this posed a significant challenge for employers, including BCG managing director and partner Chris Mattey.
“This signals a real need to rethink what workplaces look like for our desk-less talent and consider ways to help them build careers, for example with clearer paths to promotion, senior mentors and opportunities to ‘more diverse learning’.