Why Skill Building Is the Ultimate Career Advantage—No Matter Where You Are in Life

In my first post three years ago, I shared advice on how to land your first job, and now I'm back to share more with you.

Today, I want to dive into the the fact that it's never too late to learn or develop a new skill. Over the past 3 years, I have been focused in improving my own skills and now more than ever- this is my main focus because it will help me get to the next level.

I firmly believe that we all have unique abilities. Some people naturally excel in certain areas more than others—and that’s perfectly okay. Your responsibility should be in identifying your own unique skills and develop new ones to help you get to the top of the game!

And let's be honest: there is no point in having so many skills covered under the blanket if you are not sharing it or putting it out there for the world to see.

In a world where technology is advancing rapidly and industries are constantly evolving- you either adapt and grow or risk falling behind.

For example, two of my strongest skills are my ability to communicate and build relationships—abilities that are essential in nearly any industry, especially in the Travel and Hospitality industry.  So, I would say that the best approach is to focus on your key skills and then combine them with other skills you would like to develop.

My mom is another great example. She’s an incredible cook, but now she wants to strengthen her business management skills so she can scale her baking into a profitable and well-organized business. This is a perfect example to show you that investing in skill development is not just about getting ahead professionally—it’s about becoming more capable, confident, and resilient. This applies to all stages of life. Developing skills can bring personal satisfaction, joy, a sense of purpose and enhance overall wellbeing.

But, I don't want to go too deep into which specific skills you should focus on as we’re all different and unique  and I don’t want to turn this into a whole book chapter!

But here’s a simple piece of advice: don’t let your life run like a clock that just ticks away.

• Take the time to reflect.
  

• Be intentional with your time and energy.
  

• Write down the skills you’re good at (you could draw a big box and write down all the skills you have inside the box)
  

• Then write down the skills you’d like to develop and the ones you think would be essential to have in the future (write this outside the circle, keeping in mind that the goal is to have it within the box at some point)
  

• If needed, invest in mentors to guide you and start taking steps and remember, the best investment you can ever make is in yourself and any effort you put in now will benefit you later in life.
  

Like I said and repeat, there is no perfect time to start..today is the day! We literally have no excuses, there are so many resources, courses online, mentorships and so much more to tap in. It's really down to you to take the first step.

(And before I close this post..!!!! This applies to companies as well! Supporting your employees isn’t just about career advancement; it’s also about helping them excel in their current roles because there’s always room to learn and doing so brings both growth and satisfaction —but I’ll save that conversation for another day)

Bye for now—and here’s to taking action toward a better, more fulfilled life!

Nelma Neto, a recent graduate from the University of Greenwich, is senior purchasing executive at Tour Partner Group, a leading destination management company and tour operator.