By Melissa Cooley
Maybe you have been going to school and will be graduating next month. Or perhaps you recently completed a program to earn a certification. It’s so tempting to think, “I’m (almost) done!”
Except it doesn’t really work like that.
Consider the following words of management expert Peter Drucker:
“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change.”
Career Advice: You Always Need to Be Learning
Learning is a continual process. It’s not something that suddenly comes to an end because you’ve received a diploma that indicates that you’ve achieved a certain level of knowledge. Learning is life-long because the target is constantly moving; there’s always something new to learn in every given field.
If you are serious about managing your career effectively, you will keep looking for opportunities to learn. Staying relevant increases the value you have to your company. To do otherwise puts you at risk for falling behind in the latest developments in your industry. It’s up to you to decide if you are going to be proactive about staying at the forefront of your field or if you will be struggling to keep up.
How to Continue Your Education (and Advance Your Career)
Depending on your profession, there may be a continuing education requirement for you to maintain your certification (such as for educational and medical fields, for example). If you are in a profession like this, it would be a good idea to get on the snail mail and/or email list of your local university, technical college, or extension office to receive information regarding classes and seminars that would fulfill these requirements.
Another great source for learning more on cutting-edge topics is industry conferences. Speakers in the keynote and breakout sessions are leaders in your vocation, so there is much that can be learned from them. And because conference planners want you to come back year after year, you can be assured that they will address the leading issues, as well as mix it up by inviting different speakers.
Online webinars are also a good alternative for keeping current with the latest trends. The biggest plus is that you can do them at your convenience. Just be sure that they are:
a) Current. This will depend on your line of work and the specific topic of the webinar. For example, a webinar on social media can be outdated if it’s only six months old, while one on the principles of volunteer management could be still considered relevant if it’s 18 months old.
b) Reputable. Webinars that are associated with well-known leaders in the field or a professional association are typically a good bet.
“You learn something every day if you pay attention.” –Ray LeBlond
Learning doesn’t just have to occur in these more structured settings – it can happen during everyday living if you look for the opportunities:
- Volunteering
- Cross-training at work
- Talking with a mentor
- Regular get-togethers with friends who are in the same line of work
- LinkedIn discussions
- Reading industry blogs
- TED talks (www.TED.com)
Anything that adds to and updates your knowledge base counts.
“Each day learn something new, and just as important, relearn something old.” –Robert Brault
Knowing what to learn is as important as the learning itself. After all, you don’t want your time and effort to be for naught.
One way to figure out what you should be learning more about is to revisit your job description. Are there any areas that could stand for some improvement? If so, go to the various resources cited earlier to determine if there is anything out there that would benefit you.
Also, look at what topics are being discussed in blogs, on LinkedIn, and at conferences. Maybe there is something new coming down the pike, or perhaps these ideas are aspects of the profession that folks are having a hard time implementing well. If there’s something that you see popping up again and again, it’s an important matter, so pay attention to what is being said and what all you can learn.
There’s no question as to the importance of continuing education; how you go about it is pretty much up to you. Just keep your mind open and learn!
Melissa Cooley is a career consultant with a passion for helping people develop strategies to reach their goals and maximize their potential. As founder of The Job Quest, she assists individuals who are seeking employment or facing the confusion of navigating a career path.
