Learning choices and the career plan
Your learning may influence your destiny. While we may not control all the forces that influence our fortune and security, we have some control over our time and the knowledge that we employ. Continual learning is an adaptive career strategy.
We live in a time of escalating change; change has been part of the landscape of life since the days of prehistory. From our limited perspectives on time and epochs, the rate of change has become more intense. Change has always been with us, and it always seems to be accelerating. From our view of technology, business practices, and the world of culture, we see more evidence of change than we believed present in earlier times.
Expect more change in your life. We can only guess at what challenges we will face in the next 36 months. We can improve our nimbleness to move with the direction of change, by continuing to learn.
What would be a good learning choice for your career? Where will you direct your time and money to avoid becoming a dinosaur in your field? If you haven’t decided to become an active learner for your career, you are in danger of becoming out-of-date.
Go for the big advance. Don’t be content with studying trade journals each month for the next year. Select a learning goal that is substantive, adds a line to your resume, and gives you dramatic new content knowledge for the coming decade. “Don’t wake up one day wishing you’d tried,” said John McCain.
You don’t have to commit to earning a new college degree, although that is a worthwhile goal. You may need technical certification for a software standard, or invest in human skills such as counseling. Skills in Lean Manufacturing or a black belt in Six Sigma are impressive to many employers. Perhaps some working knowledge in a foreign language would make the difference for a next career step.
You may be wondering how to begin, or how much time to commit to a learning project. Unless you have a definite learning plan in mind, I suggest to begin by getting more information. Learn about your choices, and consult the future prognosticators in your field. Explore the idea of a new learning goal, and prepare yourself for the journey.
Pictured: My winter backyard, the white substance is a small flower which has fallen from a tree.
We live in a time of escalating change; change has been part of the landscape of life since the days of prehistory. From our limited perspectives on time and epochs, the rate of change has become more intense. Change has always been with us, and it always seems to be accelerating. From our view of technology, business practices, and the world of culture, we see more evidence of change than we believed present in earlier times.
Expect more change in your life. We can only guess at what challenges we will face in the next 36 months. We can improve our nimbleness to move with the direction of change, by continuing to learn.
What would be a good learning choice for your career? Where will you direct your time and money to avoid becoming a dinosaur in your field? If you haven’t decided to become an active learner for your career, you are in danger of becoming out-of-date.
Go for the big advance. Don’t be content with studying trade journals each month for the next year. Select a learning goal that is substantive, adds a line to your resume, and gives you dramatic new content knowledge for the coming decade. “Don’t wake up one day wishing you’d tried,” said John McCain.
You don’t have to commit to earning a new college degree, although that is a worthwhile goal. You may need technical certification for a software standard, or invest in human skills such as counseling. Skills in Lean Manufacturing or a black belt in Six Sigma are impressive to many employers. Perhaps some working knowledge in a foreign language would make the difference for a next career step.
You may be wondering how to begin, or how much time to commit to a learning project. Unless you have a definite learning plan in mind, I suggest to begin by getting more information. Learn about your choices, and consult the future prognosticators in your field. Explore the idea of a new learning goal, and prepare yourself for the journey.
Pictured: My winter backyard, the white substance is a small flower which has fallen from a tree.
Posted by Steve Broe at 2/21/2010 5:18 PM 
Categories: future, learning, Career
Tags: leaders in transition Career Impact Coaching Steve Broe
Categories: future, learning, Career
Tags: leaders in transition Career Impact Coaching Steve Broe
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