Keeping up to date with your industry

Being aware of changes or updates within your industry can help keep you ahead of the curve. By proactively seeking out new information and staying on top of trends, you will begin to arm yourself with learnings you can apply to your career.

Keeping up to date with your industry doesn’t need to be difficult. Here is some guidance on how this could benefit your learning and how to implement this into your workplace.

The benefits for keeping up to date with your industry

No matter what your role is or what field you work in, staying on top of industry news and trends will help you gain experience, identify opportunities for growth and give you a competitive edge. You will always benefit from keeping on top of your industry, whether you have just started out in your industry or you’re looking to progress within your role.

Identifying key changes, industry evolutions, new technologies or business practices can help you to make better decisions faster. Our 'Get Sorted' webinar is a great place to start learning about where to find opportunities, even in the hidden job market.

You will be able to spot opportunities and threats early on which will help you to stay ahead of the competition. This will enable you to build a dynamic strategy for your progression which can help you to move up the career ladder, gain relevant training or harness new opportunities.

In addition to this, the trust and respect your peers will have for your level of expertise will also help open doors for you within your industry, shaping your career progression.

How to keep up to date

To stay up to date with industry you have to identify the sources most useful to you and your field of work. We have outlined some of the best resources where you can find up to date information below.

Seek out a mentor or industry buddy

Enlisting the help of a mentor or a friend who works in the same industry gives you the chance to learn new information in a social setting. This situation takes you out of a formal environment and can encourage a conversational flow, with the opportunity to ask questions without judgement. This can help you to build up your industry knowledge and see things from another perspective.

Further education or training

A course can be a great way to refresh the skills you need for your job or learn new skills that can help to advance your career. Online and part-time training or education courses allow you to keep working while you study. Take a look at what options are out there—you could explore courses directly related to your industry, study to help you build soft skills such as leadership or negotiation, or a business or IT course that could apply to a wide range of roles.

Industry organisations

There are organisations that you can join that can help you to stay in the loop. They can provide you with insightful journals, newsletters or even events that you can attend to network with likeminded people.

Networking

Networking, whether it’s face-to-face or online, can be a rewarding way to keep updated on industry news and trends. This helps you to build on your network and create working relationships within your field.

Social media

Social media has become one of the best up-to-the-minute sources of industry news. By following experts and industry leaders on channels like Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, you’ll absorb the latest information and opinions while you get your daily social media fix. LinkedIn especially can be a great resource for communicating with colleagues, trade groups and industry leaders, adding your insights into conversations.

Forums

Online forums and discussion boards can be a treasure trove of information on specific topics and industries. You may just need some time to sift through to find the information and opinions that strike your interest the most. Take the opportunity to contribute to discussions as well as absorbing new information.

Blogs

You can subscribe to bloggers who post relevant industry stories. This lets them do the hard work and discuss new trends, leaving you to take on board what works for you. You can look at what blogs these bloggers follow too to see where they get their information from, then follow these outlets to.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a tool you can use to be notified when specific keywords are found on the Google search engine. This cuts down your search time as your industry news will be delivered to you directly.

Accessing the Sectoral Skills Assessments

The Sectoral Skills Assessments (SSAs) looks at current and future skills demand in key sectors across Scotland and provides insights into these fields. You can access these here: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/skills-planning/sectoral-skills-assessments/

How to bring your industry knowledge into the workplace

When you have identified the resources most suited to you and your industry you can stay on top of the latest news and use it in your workplace. But, how do you do that?

Share the news with your co-workers

By staying on top of all the latest news to come out of your industry you can help your team work more effectively by sharing the information. If you have been alerted, or have read an insightful article, you can share this out in an email to your team. Bring your new industry knowledge into the conversation and encourage everyone to grow professionally.

Become a change leader

Devoting some of your day, or time out your week, to hold team meetings can be a positive change in your workplace. Become a change leader in your weekly activities and actively encourage the sharing of information. If there are some outdated practises or processes you feel could be updated with a new piece of technology, software or reporting, share your opinion with your team and see how this can streamline your methods.

Attend industry events as a team

When being in the know of the latest industry updates, you will be more aware of trade or networking events occurring. You can harness your industry knowledge by encouraging those within your team to go to the events with you, so you can all learn as a team.

Mix with other teams in your workplace

Knowledge sharing is essential for a business to run smoothly. Valuable information can be exchanged among employees which can enhance both your and their performance, creating a healthy professional relationship. You may not always get the chance to interact with specific teams within the company but by actively seeking this out you can increase the industry knowledge shared and stay up to date in all parts of the industry.

 

Your knowledge, expertise and networks within your industry can be your greatest asset for career progression. By staying on top of the changes and update within your field you can make your work easier for yourself and others.