5 Unique Ways To Continue Learning Without Going Back To School

By Michelle Wanjiku
During the course of your career, you will need to gain new skills and learn new things if you want to grow and prosper. This is because; the job market is always evolving so you cannot just depend on your first Degree to climb the ladder.
However, this does not mean that you have to keep going back to school in order to learn. This method is time consuming and also very expensive. So what are the alternatives? In this article see some of the ways you can continue to learn and grow in your career without having to go back to school.
1. News, news, news
One of the most important sources of information happens to be news. It therefore goes without saying that if you want to stay afloat any changes in your chosen profession or just want to learn something new.
As a professional you need to be aware of what is happening in the world and this information comes in handy during interviews.
2. Read a lot of books
Another clear way to continue learning is to read as many books as possible. There are various benefits of developing a reading culture such as improving your communication skills and more. The books you choose to read also matter a great deal because not all books are educational. This means that you need to ensure you read more non-fiction books.
3. Take an online course
Another great way to learn new skills and better your chances at career growth is taking short online courses related to your career. For example, as an IT professional taking courses such as the Microsoft certification course, CISCO, CCNA and more will help boost your career tremendously.
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4. Learn a foreign language
Contrary to popular belief you do not have to attend a class to learn a new language. If you cannot afford to pay for professional classes or just don’t have the time, there are countless applications and online tutorials you can use to learn the language.
If you ever want to work for an NGO, then this is very important. Almost all NGO’s require one to know English as well as any other official foreign language that the organization uses.
This is because, most NGOs operate in a multicultural environment and the jobs sometimes require frequent travel; this then makes it necessary to know different languages.
For example, the official languages for the UN apart from English include; French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian. When applying for a job at the UN knowledge of any of these foreign languages is an advantage.
5. Attend training programs
You have to invest in your career if you want to continue growing. This is where the trainings come in. In the current job market, having the right soft skills is very important if you want to get a job. Things like leadership, public speaking, management, customer service and more are deciding factors on who gets a job or a promotion.
It therefore makes sense that you should take your time to ensure you learn the skills you do not possess. There are various training programs you can join that will help you.
In Conclusion,
Clearly, in order to succeed in your career you need to continue learning and growing and this doesn’t always necessarily mean going back to school. Learning new skills will keep you ahead of other professionals.
READ ALSO >>> 4 Great Obstacles To Career Growth To Avoid
Also, in order to succeed in your career you need to have a good career plan in place.
The writer is a communications officer/digital marketer at career Point Kenya. Email: michelle@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke