by
Dorota Kubiak
HR
Lifelong learning – is it already a requirement of today or a whim of reality that tires us out, a constant urge for change and pursuit of a better version of ourselves? Will we be learning for our entire lives?
Arguably, we have obtained a more flexible approach to our career paths. We are not afraid of changes, we want to obtain new skills. More often than not, the positions we hold force us to broaden our knowledge with new skills as many fields merge with each other.
Most of all, we want to learn practice, derive from experience of others, discover examples and analyze case studies. There are many factors which stimulate the motivation for further learning and the need to obtain new skills. What can we do so as not to fall behind?
Most of all, we want to learn practice, derive from experience of others, discover examples and analyze case studies. There are many factors which stimulate the motivation for further learning and the need to obtain new skills. What can we do so as not to fall behind?
1. Take up the challenge
The world is changing ever faster, and we are trying to keep pace with ongoing technical development. Automation and robotization enhance the demand for proper staff – let’s take advantage of it and take up new specializations. Universities create postgraduate courses dedicated to specializations in line with current needs of big companies, very often in co-operation with them. Employers can also cover part of the costs of education and postgraduate courses; there are also numerous retraining possibilities offered by programs of the State Employment Agencies.
The world is changing ever faster, and we are trying to keep pace with ongoing technical development. Automation and robotization enhance the demand for proper staff – let’s take advantage of it and take up new specializations. Universities create postgraduate courses dedicated to specializations in line with current needs of big companies, very often in co-operation with them. Employers can also cover part of the costs of education and postgraduate courses; there are also numerous retraining possibilities offered by programs of the State Employment Agencies.
2. Change your attitude
It is not sufficient to improve your qualifications, you must obtain a proper “set” of useful skills. This requires flexibility and openness to various fields of knowledge. Technical knowledge must be supported by the ability to apply it and convey it to others, while with the use of soft skills you must be able to communicate with IT specialists (even if you do not need to be familiar with the details of their work).
It is not sufficient to improve your qualifications, you must obtain a proper “set” of useful skills. This requires flexibility and openness to various fields of knowledge. Technical knowledge must be supported by the ability to apply it and convey it to others, while with the use of soft skills you must be able to communicate with IT specialists (even if you do not need to be familiar with the details of their work).
3. Seize the opportunities offered by the Internet
Seize the opportunities offered by the Internet – it doesn’t cost anything. An investment in our own future does not need to be expensive – we can take advantage of self-learning, participate in free online courses, TED courses (that is, instant and specific sessions related to particular issues). They provide a great dose of practical and interestingly served knowledge.
4. Do not give up your passions
Broaden your horizons and invest in education and development of your hobbies beyond the main area of your job. Very often such activities transform into an idea for a job and one’s own business. It can be crocheting or mountain climbing – you never know when such skills turn out to be useful or when you happen to use the contacts established in connection with them.
Seize the opportunities offered by the Internet – it doesn’t cost anything. An investment in our own future does not need to be expensive – we can take advantage of self-learning, participate in free online courses, TED courses (that is, instant and specific sessions related to particular issues). They provide a great dose of practical and interestingly served knowledge.
4. Do not give up your passions
Broaden your horizons and invest in education and development of your hobbies beyond the main area of your job. Very often such activities transform into an idea for a job and one’s own business. It can be crocheting or mountain climbing – you never know when such skills turn out to be useful or when you happen to use the contacts established in connection with them.
Ayesha Khanna, CEO and Co-Founder of ADDO AI, an institution supporting partnership between the business and the academic environment, when asked for advice for future students and their families emphasized that the most important thing is the diversity and versatility of the taken up studies: Let’s make sure that our children, if they study engineering or software development, will also learn about Shakespeare, study poetry and art. After all, the most valuable employees are those who not only have technical skills, but are also creative.
Having diverse interests is also a back-up plan for the future. In the United States it is not a problem to change jobs even several times a year. Nobody considers it unrealistic that a person employed at a bank at a managerial position decides to change their career path, starts a postgraduate course, improves his/her skills by participating in free online courses and makes his/her dreams come true and, for instance, becomes a teacher.
Having diverse interests is also a back-up plan for the future. In the United States it is not a problem to change jobs even several times a year. Nobody considers it unrealistic that a person employed at a bank at a managerial position decides to change their career path, starts a postgraduate course, improves his/her skills by participating in free online courses and makes his/her dreams come true and, for instance, becomes a teacher.
