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Lifelong Learning: Why and How To Build This Essential Success Habit

Henry Ford said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."

Has a better case for lifelong learning ever been made?

Continuing to learn new things throughout your lifetime is not only a virtual fountain of youth--it keeps you employable and able to earn what you're worth.

Even better, it makes you a more interesting person!

Here's how to be a lifelong learner and get ahead:

Looking for a job where you can learn and grow? Accurate Staffing has great opportunities available. Contact us today to get started.

EMBRACE CHANGE

As the global pandemic clearly showed us, anything can change on a dime, and adapting is essential to survival.

There is comfort in familiarity. But if you remain open to new ideas, different perspectives, or more demanding situations, your career can grow.

Welcoming fresh information and seeing opportunities in change is essential for career success and personal satisfaction.

DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET

If "this is how I've always done it" is your mantra, your way of thinking is hindering your ability to learn and evolve.

To remain nimble in the face of change, cultivate a growth mindset:

  • Don't reject an idea simply because it's different.
  • Reframe an intimidating challenge as something you just haven't accomplished yet.
  • Do something that's out of your comfort zone.
  • Focus on what you can learn from failures. How can you do better next time?

Change your mindset, and you will be more prepared for whatever comes next.

THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

The world is dynamic. What works for you today--in your job, your relationships--may not work quite as well tomorrow. Grow in pace with an evolving world or be held back.

Knowing the essentials of your job is the bare minimum, so strive for more. To make improvement part of your routine:

  1. Self-assess. Could I be doing this better?
  2. Solicit feedback. How does your boss or partner feel about how you are doing things?
  3. Research. Are my skills in line with what is expected? Are there newer tools I should know how to use?

CHOOSE TO KNOW MORE

Knowledge is power. But also, according to management guru Peter Drucker,
"knowledge is choice."

You can choose to know more about nearly anything. How?

  • Ask questions. Be inquisitive. Try not to assume. Speak up or do research when you hear an unfamiliar concept for the first time.
  • Recognize that others have wisdom and knowledge to share. You don't know it all. No one does.
  • Google it! Your phone is a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a guidebook, a translator, a classroom, and an instruction manual. If you don't have a smartphone or reliable internet access at home, take advantage of the computers at your local library.
  • Technology has multiplied the avenues for learning. Watch a YouTube video, listen to a podcast, or subscribe to an e-newsletter. Nuggets of knowledge are available to you in a variety of ways.

BROADEN YOUR IDEA OF LEARNING

Don't mistake learning as being only applicable to technical or job-specific skills. In a LinkedIn study, a majority of employers (57%) valued soft skills over hard skills. Soft skills are those personal qualities that make you a compelling candidate and allow you to thrive at work. Will you be an asset to their team? Will you fit in with the work culture? Examples of soft skills include:

  • Time management
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Resourcefulness

While they may sound like innate qualities, many soft skills can be learned and practiced.

Personal growth leads to professional development: Improve your soft skills and make sure they shine when applying for new jobs or promotions. They may be what get you hired.

Looking for a new job? Accurate Staffing can help! Contact us to learn about opportunities that may be right for you.

KEEP HARD SKILLS CURRENT

Nevertheless, to be a prepared and strong candidate, your job-specific abilities must be on point.

There are many ways to learn the explicit competencies needed to succeed in a given role:

  1. Identify in-demand skills. Read the listings for desirable jobs...are specific tools and tactics noted repeatedly? Choose to learn any valued skills you lack.
  2. Take a class. Colleges, technical schools, or community education programs may offer relevant courses. A single class or relatively short commitment may be enough to boost your skills.
  3. Learn from all sources. Read trade magazines, attend seminars, network with colleagues and friends, or shadow other workers. Ask for instruction and information.
  4. Speak the language. Look up jargon and familiarize yourself with lingo to feel confident and sound competent.

LIVE A LIFE OF LEARNING

Choose to be a lifelong learner and reap work benefits such as staying ahead of the competition, finding it easier to switch fields or re-enter the working world after an absence, and being the candidate employers can envision the most potential.

When you are open to learning and maintain a vast base of knowledge and abilities, you become a more interesting individual. Lifelong learners are stimulating and compelling people to be around.

Albert Einstein said that "intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." So always be learning, and you'll have a more successful life.