If you haven’t already landed your perfect job, you’re much closer now that you’ve completed your qualification. Your learning journey doesn’t stop here, however. Embracing a culture of continual learning is the key to building a successful career.
With continual learning, you can commit to continuing to expand your knowledge and skills by taking advantage of available resources and setting achievable goals. Learn more about this powerful concept from our guide on how to practise lifelong learning.
Before you set out on your next learning journey, it’s important to define what specific goals you want to accomplish. Are you looking to:
Having clear objectives can help pinpoint the best sources of information and resources available to you. Ensure they are achievable and specific so that your action plan will succeed and serve its purpose.
You’ve already accomplished a huge goal when you completed your qualification at the College for Adult Learning. Now you know you’re capable of achieving such a large learning goal, you can continue your learning journey with self-learning, smaller courses, and events to expand upon the formal education you’ve gained.
Once you have clarity about your educational goals, it’s time to decide where you will get the information and resources you need to reach them. From online classes and certifications to self-study materials and local events, there are plenty of options available for those looking to broaden their horizons. Research your field thoroughly so that you are able to find reputable sources that match what you want to learn and offer quality materials.
Making a commitment to lifelong learning is one thing, but taking action and tracking your progress is the only way to ensure you reach your goals. Set a timeline, set realistic goals that are achievable given your current resources, and break them down into small steps. Don’t forget to check in regularly to make sure you haven’t fallen behind and continue making adjustments as needed. Invest in yourself by joining online communities and enroling in events related to your field of study that can help build connections and increase motivation.
There is always more you can learn. Your learning journey isn’t over once the qualification is complete. Taking this approach to learning will give you a competitive edge in any industry and allow you to come out on top. It doesn’t have to be formal. Informal learning can be extremely valuable when it comes to targeting specific skills. One approach is to identify your areas of improvement and fill in your knowledge gaps. This will make you a desirable employee, as you’ll demonstrate a willingness to improve and end up with a wide range of skills applicable to your job.
Another method is to double down on your existing skills and look to become an expert, seeking specialisation in one area. This method doesn’t work for every role in every industry, but it can make a huge difference when it comes to job hunting. There will always be work for those who specialise.
Your ongoing learning is entirely dependent on how you learn best. Now that you’ve completed your course, you should have a much better idea of your unique learning style. Take some time to reflect on how you learn and adjust your future learning to fit this style.
Your learning can take many different forms, from reading about best practices in your industry, case studies, and articles, industry podcasts, speaking to your mentor or simply reading the news. Remember that you will learn best by being active in your learning, so whenever you find something interesting, save it or make a few notes to help it stick. You’ll never know when that article might come in handy.
During your study, you will have likely developed strong study habits. Don’t let all your hard work developing these habits go to waste – use the time you would have spent studying to improve your knowledge in a particular area and reap the rewards.
Whether this is a small 15 minutes a day carved out to spend time simply keeping up to date on relevant industry news, or reading a relevant book – small habits build lifelong changes.
Networking can be a great way of continuing your learning journey, exploring more about the field that you’re interested in and making visible progress. Talk to people who are already successful and ask them for advice on how best to maximise your career potential. Many of these individuals might even provide valuable mentorship opportunities. You could also attend events or conferences related to your subject area if there are any in your area, or look into online communities or forums that discuss topics within that field.
Online networking through social media platforms such as LinkedIn is an accessible way to connect with people in your field of study that could be across the country or globe. The College for Adult Learning’s LinkedIn professional networking group can be a great place to meet fellow alumni, grow your connections and interact with like-minded individuals. You may also find a mentor in your industry that have had a similar learning experience as you at CAL.
The College for Adult Learning’s Real Outcomes Guarantee ensures our students are always learning and growing, even upon completion of our courses.
To prove how serious we are about continual learning and offering real outcomes to our students, you’ll receive our Real Outcomes Guarantee reward if you’ve achieved your study goal outlined at enrolment. If for whatever reason, you’ve really tried but haven’t been able to achieve your goal, we’ll give you additional resources to help get you there. Learning doesn’t finish once you’ve gained your qualification. Make continual learning a priority as you continue to grow as a person and in your career.
