CEO speaks: Don’t Wait for a Career Crisis. Build Your Second Skill Today

In the past, many could choose a profession, master it, and remain in that lane for decades until retirement. The idea of a “job for life” was a tangible reality for millions. But in today’s world, that promise of certainty and stability has evaporated. The modern workplace is a place of rapid change, where technology evolves in months, global markets shift overnight, and industries that once seemed unshakable can vanish in a decade or less! The stark reality for today’s students: your degree, while important, will no longer be enough to carry you through an entire career. The safest and smartest way to prepare for your future is to cultivate a second skill before you ever need a second career.

A second skill is not a “Plan B” that sits in a dusty corner waiting for an emergency. It’s a strategic asset that can expand your opportunities, deepen your thinking, and make you far more valuable to future employers or to your own entrepreneurial ventures. Think of it as cross-training for your professional life. Just as athletes work on different muscle groups to improve balance and performance, professionals who develop multiple competencies can adapt faster and contribute in more ways to rapidly changing market forces.

Imagine a literature student who also learns coding. That combination can lead to careers in digital publishing, educational tech platforms, or storytelling in virtual reality. Or a maths graduate who picks up data analytics is precious to organizations that focus on market research. An engineer who masters public speaking can lead teams, pitch ideas persuasively, and inspire change. In the volatile job market of the present and in the future, being a deep specialist is valuable but being a versatile specialist is priceless.

So, when is the best time to start investing time and effort on your second skill of choice? It is most definitely not after a crisis, a layoff, or a market disruption. It’s while you are still learning, exploring, and shaping your path. When you are a student, you have access to resources — professors, workshops, peers, and now a vast library of online courses — that make learning something new far easier than it will be later in life.

Today, world-class universities, through platforms like Coursera or edX, and even YouTube offer high-quality courses in everything from AI and cybersecurity to foreign languages, graphic design, financial literacy, and design thinking. You can dip your toes into multiple areas before committing deeply to one. But much more importantly, don’t keep it theoretical. Look for internships, part-time work, or volunteering that lets you apply your second skill in a real-world context. If you’re learning social media marketing, offer to handle the Instagram page of a campus club. If you’re picking up coding, contribute to an open-source project and build your Github profile. The sooner you put the skill into practice, the faster it will become part of who you are, the more confident you will be in it.

Developing a second skill requires a shift in mindset. For many students, the singular goal is still to get good grades, land a job, and “settle down.” But the future belongs to lifelong learners, those who are comfortable learning, unlearning, and relearning as needed. Graduation is not the finish line of your education; it’s the starting point for a lifetime of skill-building. The moment you start seeing your career as a constantly evolving journey rather than a straight track, you’ll begin to approach learning differently. This mindset also brings confidence. Instead of fearing the unknown, you start seeing change as an opportunity. If one door closes, you already have the keys to another.

The disruptions of the last decade offer clear lessons. Automation has eliminated repetitive jobs in manufacturing, banking, and even customer service. The pandemic forced a sudden shift to remote work, making digital collaboration tools essential. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now reshaping even creative industries from design and marketing to music and filmmaking. Many professionals who had banked on a stable career found themselves scrambling to adapt. But those who had invested in a second skill, whether in technology, communication, entrepreneurship, or problem-solving, had options. They could pivot into new roles, enter emerging industries, or start something of their own. It’s about positioning yourself to seize opportunities that others can’t see or can’t reach because they lack the skills to get there.

The future will demand reinvention, not once, but multiple times over a lifetime. Those who have prepared will navigate these shifts with confidence. Don’t wait for a moment when your industry is shrinking, your job is automated, or your company is downsizing to think about reinvention. By then, you’ll be learning under pressure, which is the hardest way to learn. Instead, start now! Build your second skill before you need a second career. Because when change comes, and it most certainly will, you won’t just survive. You’ll thrive!

The author is the Vice-Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University and Group CEO, Techno India Group. A visionary leader, he is shaping future-ready institutions and inspiring students to lead with purpose.