Once upon a time, not so very long ago, a certificate, a diploma or a degree was almost like a magic carpet. You could ride it right through the world of work, from your first job to your retirement. Occasionally, you might have had to replace a few threads in the carpet or to dust off the fringes. Generally, though, if you had that magic carpet, you assumed that you’d learned most of what you needed to know to do the job — for a lifetime.
Without a doubt, certificates, diplomas and degrees are still worth their weight in gold when it comes to finding work. But these days, no matter what kind of education or training you have, if you want to succeed in the world of work, you’ve got to keep on learning!
Why is Learning So Important?
To keep up with global competition and technological change, organizations are trying to work “smarter.” Employers are hiring people not only because of what they know,but also because of what they’re willing to learn. How does this affect you? Take a look.
• Most new jobs created in the next 10 years will require advanced education or training.
You may also like:
- UNICEF Recruitment : Open Jobs/Online application
- Capitec Bank recruitment :Open Jobs/Online application
- International NGOs Recruitment : Open Jobs/Application
- Embassy of Sweden recruitment : Open Jobs/application
- KOICA Recruitment ( April 2024) : Open Jobs/ Online application
• You’ll need some level of computer and software competence for almost every job.
• You’ll require continuous training to keep up with the new technology in almost every workplace.
• New information is developing so rapidly that your technical know-how will be out of date five years after you acquire it.
• You’ll have to upgrade your skills continually to meet constantly changing work requirements.
How will you keep on learning?
You can start by. ..
Owning Your Learning
Until recently, many workers relied on their employers to take charge of their on-the-job learning. These days, fewer employers — particularly small and medium-sized businesses have the resources to provide this kind of direction and training. Despite this trend, employers increasingly expect workers to stay current in their field. They want their employees to own their own learning. When you own your learning, you assume that it’s your responsibility to figure out what you need to learn and to find ways to learn it.
What do you want to learn and why do you want to learn it?
Figuring out what you need to learn will help you to get started. Knowing why you want to learn it will help you to stay motivated.
What?
To help you to decide what you need to learn, do your own Personal Performance Review. Think about how well you’re doing the tasks and showing the attitudes your work requires. In a way, doing a personal performance review is like pretending that you’re the supervisor.
Ask yourself the following questions. Write out your answers.
• How accurately/quickly/courteously do I perform the tasks I’m assigned?
• How often do I do the tasks I know need to be done without being told? How often do I wait for instructions?
• How do I get the information I need? Do I watch, read or ask questions?
• What am I doing to help this organization/business/employer?
• How well do I relate to customers? co-workers? supervisors?
• What are my areas of strength?
• In what areas do I need to build my skills and/or attitudes?
• What steps do I need to take to build my skills and/or attitudes?
Reading over your answers will give you some ideas about what you might need to learn.
Why
We learn better when we know why we’re learning something. you might want to learn or improve a skill or an attitude because it will:
• help you work more efficiently and/or effectively
• increase your value as an employee
• help you reach a goal
• make work more interesting and/or rewarding.
Please Don’t limit yourself to this list. There ere many other reasons for learning or improving a skill.
Conclusion
Learning is important because it’s one of the most effective ways to ensure that You stay in demand. When your skills, information and knowledge are up to date, your services and ideas will be of most value to employers. A commitment to life long learning could also be your key to managing change. As you keep on learning, you keep on gathering more skills and more experience. With a broader base of skills and experience, you’ll tend to be more flexible and more adaptable — and better able to deal with change.