Of course, the glass is half empty in this scenario but there is an opportunity to use this quieter period to focus on self-development.

An opportunity in disguise, the lockdown provides time to introspect and identify areas for improvement. Learning what's necessary and long due can add a new dimension to your personal and professional life.

For working professionals who are used to the hustle-bustle of work-life, living under a mandated lockdown can have a significant impact on their psyche. With lines between home and office beginning to blur, many have raised a growing concern whether is it the end of the office as we know it? Of course, the glass is half empty in this scenario but there is an opportunity to use this quieter period to focus on self-development. Many are using this lockdown period to learn new skills in their spare time and stay readily equipped for whatever the future of work holds for them.

Now is the Time to Invest in Yourself

Several organizations are encouraging their workforce to start learning digitally and take courses that enhance their functional expertise. Professionals who struggled developing their soft skills, also known as power skills, while dealing with deadlines and office work can now learn combination of soft skills and apply them in real time as they work remotely. Learners can focus on a variety of important soft skills like writing, public speaking, and emotional intelligence (EQ), which does require significant time investment in self-reflection and self-awareness, but the payoff is an undeniable competitive advantage. Technical and behavioural skills can be vastly improved by taking up modules, quizzes, and tests. There are even courses that focus on one’s well-being, improving productivity from home and effectively collaborating with virtual teams. If group learning is your thing, then you can have your manager pick up a module and invite the whole team to attend and discuss it.

Read, Listen, Watch & Learn

Right from the comfort of your home, you can reap the innumerable benefits of digital learning. High-speed internet connection and their affordability have birthed many platforms that can lend you a helping hand in accentuating your skillset. Bet it by indulging yourself in eBooks, audiobooks or watching video course can give you the experience that supports you in the flow of work. Given the present times, it is an apt medium to look up to.

Dial-Into Your Tech-Savvy Skills

With many liberties momentarily restricted, the humdrum lifestyle takes a toll on social life. It makes it more important to connect virtually with clients, colleagues, and other work groups, which too, depends upon an individuals’ tech skills. You would not want to find yourself in the technologically disadvantaged group when it is time to use video conferencing apps, team collaboration and productivity tools. While the know of these tech-savvy skills comes handy what matters most is how strong your tech-etiquette game is? Does your custom status convey the right thing? Are you part of a video-call and yet continue to check that email? These will not only be looked upon as an additional skill but also a necessity in present time. Learning these small yet important etiquettes can come with experience but can help you in the long run.

It is no hidden fact that continuous evolving and learning new skills are important to reach career aspirations. Be it a developer who wishes to refine programming or security solutions or an employee who wants to further polish his cloud computing skills. It could also be as basic as learning Microsoft Office. We all have some bonus time on our hands, and it’s up to each of us to decide how we wish to utilize it. However, the wisdom lies in timely acquiring and upgrading the ammunition to be used to secure your future success.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house