Whether your job requires you to earn continuing education credits, or you just want to brush up on a personal hobby, learning is a vehicle for professional and personal advancement. Attending industry conferences, webinars, blended-learning seminars, and evening courses are great ways to build your knowledge network. Here are some additional ways you can keep learning — and earning!
Start with self-assessment
Ask yourself: What do I want to learn more about? This might require a little research; learning more about a topic of interest can also help you determine if it’s something you want to do or pursue. Then take an honest inventory of your skills and strengths, so you can identify areas for improvement through education.
Plan to learn and learn to plan
- Time and timing: Consider the time it takes to learn, develop, and master a skill. Find out if the course is one session or requires a more significant time commitment.
- Environment: Do you prefer learning in a classroom, online from home, via lecture, watching, reading, doing, self-paced, or a combination? If you want to gain public speaking skills, join a public speaking group. If you learn best by reading, loud environments, especially with many human voices overlapping, may be frustrating to you.
- Compassionate accountability to yourself: Set your intention to complete the training before you sign up. Make sure the training makes sense for you. Judge whether you’ll use the certification or if the expense is justifiable.
Partner for success
Make your learning process a conversation. Identify professional role models whose career you admire. Their education, certifications, training, and organization affiliations will give you some idea of the steps they took to get where they are. Don’t imitate, but be inspired by their success. Here are some ways you can connect with others:
- Peer mentor – better than a friend, this person is an ally for action. Tell them exactly what you need from them: encouragement, a listening ear, problem-solving, strategizing … be specific to help them help you. This is not a “Yes Person.” They will be on your side, but also hold you accountable.
- Career mentor – can be a friend, but must be a person whose career you admire who is already established and connected in your industry of interest. Prepare to formally ask this person to mentor you.
- Professional organizations – many organizations require membership dues to join. Membership does not equal participation. Find groups where you have more than a seat at the table — where you have a voice at the table.
- Affinity groups – local groups specialize in hosting lectures, presentations, roundtables, forums, and discussions about their special interest. Be safe and know before you go: research the group and its members before you attend an event.
Learning doesn’t have to be linear! Reverse-engineer your professional development by talking to people who are in jobs and industries that interest you. Ask about the turning points that led them to their biggest successes. Certain jobs require certain skills and attributes — find out what training opportunities will best support your professional success.
Sources:
“How to Get High-Potential Employees Interested in Leadership Development Programs,” Harvard Business Review (hbr.com), September 7, 2018
“Where Companies Go Wrong with Learning and Development," Harvard Business Review (hbr.com), October 2, 2019
Toastmasters International (toastmasters.com)
