Career Management Tip - Never Stop Learning!

It’s Graduation time for many people, mainly the younger ones, which prompted some thoughts about those of us who’ve already passed this milestone and then some. Bottom line - it’s never too late to learn something new, and in order to stay current with the fast pace of our times, you must commit to lifelong learning.

They say that what once took 50 years to evolve, now only takes 5 years. And, that human knowledge has doubled in the last 10 years!
Jump in and keep yourself current. Take a work-related course – many employers have tuition reimbursement benefits – or ask for cross-training within the company to increase your value. There are many effective training programs available either from outside vendors or from an organization’s own training department. Attend conferences and seminars, which put you in the midst of opportunities to learn from new people. Enroll in a certificate program and acquire a new set of skills or expertise. Sign up for a community college class for fun or to increase your skills, or simply commit to reading one new non-fiction book every month.

You can learn just about anything you want or need to know. Not sure you have time to fit in any of the ideas above? If you commute 30 minutes each way to work, over 5 years, that’s 1250 hours in your car, which equates to the time it takes to get a college education! What better way to spend that time than with audio books. Think of the possibilities – learn a new language, refresh your management skills, pick up sales and marketing tips, learn ways to better manage your finances. How about giving up one hour of television per day? That gives you 365 more hours each year to learn something new and work toward your goals.

We may have graduated from school long ago, but now we have the gift of experience and a context in which to fit and apply new information. As others are graduating this Spring, commit yourself to learning something new. Expand your mind and let new ideas and skills develop. Then throw your own graduation party!

Please post your comments! Visit www.LousbergUnlimited.com for information on career transition and employee development services.