If you work in the technical area of networking and the public Internet, you’re probably a trained, certified networking engineer already. Chances are though that you’ve only pursued one or two specific training courses that seemed like safe bets at the start of your career – and at best you will have topped these certifications up from time to time.

But the network has moved on in the past 10-15 years, arguably more than anyone could have predicted – today it touches every aspect of most people’s working and personal lives, and it has become fully mobile. It’s hard to name a business sector that doesn’t rely on the network to meet its core objectives – from bottom-line profit through execution of mission-critical services to providing a digital shop-window.

This means that the demand for networking skills is much higher than it has ever been before, with little risk of it diminishing in the near future. However, it also means that the skills and mindsets called for have changed radically. A fresh think about the scope and depth of your certifications (and the underlying news skills you can acquire if you consider new ones and new directions) can lead to a boost in your productivity and effectiveness with your current employer, but can also increase your chances of getting a new job with more exciting prospects, greater responsibilities, and much improved benefits.

A useful analogy might be the early origins of the car industry; the first mechanics would have trained and worked on the Model T Ford (“any colour so long as it’s black”); doubtless they would have been in great demand to begin with, and as the industry developed some of their basic skills and understanding would have been transferable. But after 20 or so years, a new look at their core understanding of the combustion engine, and their ability to ‘fix’ brands other than Ford, would have become necessary for mechanics operating within the industry to survive.

Technology thrives on innovation, so the trusted experts must stay flexible and keep up with innovation too. If they choose not to, they could find that the level of knowledge that they've already gained - no matter how vast it is - could become obsolete when compared to that of experts operating within the same field as them who have made the effort to keep up with the latest certifications and training that have been available to them.

Calien McToldridge writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.