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There should be no excuse when it comes to learning new skills because there are resources that you can readily access. When it comes to personal development and enhancing your skills, it’s up to you to make time and commitment to it.
Even if the company doesn’t pay for training in conference venues in Oxfordshire, there are things that you can do to upskill yourself and remain competent in your chosen career.
- Read articles and books
Reading is a good way of learning and books contain information you won’t get anywhere else. You don’t even have to limit your references to books, because there are articles that you can read and pick something up from. Instead of wasting your time reading a magazine or taking an online quiz, allot your time to more worthwhile readings that will are informative.
As a start, you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour of your day learning more about your field and what the top leaders in the industry have to say. LinkedIn is a good place to start, as well as forums where industry experts usually have a healthy discourse.
- Enrol and attend classes
The power of technology makes it possible to attend classes and finish a course at the comfort of your home. You can even do homework and finish your readings at your own pace and schedule. Some learning platforms are free, so take advantage of this to learn new skills to arm yourself with.
If you don’t have spare time to read or want to make use of the time in traffic or while commuting, you can download podcasts of online class lectures delivered by experts. There’s an endless list of things you can learn and it’s totally up to you to arrange your curriculum and stick to it.
- The office may have something for you
You don’t have to look too far for the opportunity to learn, because there is always the chance to do something new in the office. Take the time to look around and explore what your team and colleagues are involved in. Maybe it’s a project that you can be a part of or an extra task that you can learn a thing or two from. If you have the extra time and there’s not much to do, you can request permission from your manager to shadow someone for one day so you can learn what their day-to-day job is like. This is a good initiative on your end, and even if the company doesn’t have an extra budget allocation for training, at least you’re doing something to learn new things.
When it comes to development, it’s better to be an expert in a specific subject matter than be a jack of all trades and master of none. While it’s tempting to enrol in multiple classes, especially free ones, it’s advisable that you make time to learn one thing at a time. Start with something small and once you’re good at it, move on to a new skill and be good at it too.
