Improve your skill sets strategically.
Learning has never been as accessible as it is now. Digital platforms provide many opportunities for remote/online learning. With the transitions, educational institutions have had to make in 2020, there are even more and more ways you can master new skills.
Accountability is harder when there is no specific end-point to reach.
Over the summer I learned of a university course on Canadian Indigenous studies was free. If I wanted accreditation I could pay a nominal fee. The idea of learning about the history of my country that has been swept to the side for too long was exciting. But with anything, we all have a surge of motivation in the beginning and then week to week it feels like it’s too easy to drop the ball.
So when it comes to improving your skill set, I’d like you to consider the following before signing up for the next shiny webinar:
- Budget how many hours a week or month you want or can commit to education?
- Make a bucket list of topics and skills that you feel you need to improve your business as well as the offerings for your clients.
- Create a budget for professional development. In my experience, the courses I pay for are the ones I gain the most out of.
- Question the value of free webinars. Ask yourself what value will you get out of the lesson. Think about your ROI, the time, effort and attention you are offering the company for their expertise. I find most webinars provide a very sparse outline of what they charge for. So I tend to leave with more questions than action plans.
- When you do sign up, commit to it. Schedule the lesson(s) into your calendar. Don’t leave it as a to-do item that tends to never get checked off. You know, thinking, I’ll get to it sometime… turns into never. Turn off anything that could distract you from engaging in the lesson. Multitasking and learning is a non-existent plan. -Grab your laptop and choose a different location to help you avoid multitasking.
- Put what you learn into action right away.
So where do you start? What program, course, school is best for you?
It really all depends on what you know that you don’t know. There are wonderful online course sites that offer a variety of topics to dive into. You can dip your toe or really dive in.
If you aren’t too sure about what you want to learn check out Lynda.com as part of LinkedIN Learning. There are also sites like Skillshare, Udemy, Coursera, Creative Live, and so many more.
There really is nothing stopping you from learning
In fact, education in my experience is a life-long activity. There is always something new that should be researched and learned. And with online learning, the options are endless. Sometimes the best hack to learn what you need to learn is from others’ experiences. That is what is great about the Creatives Roundtable community. Our members occasionally teach need-to-know skills. The CR is a group of like-minded creatives who are willing to share ideas and lessons they have learned along the way. For instance, in May Emma McGoldrick will show us How Tiktok and Short Form Video Can Elevate your Business, and in July Lidia Varesco Racoma will try to sway creative minds with Canva for Creative Cloud Users.
Written by Crystal Reynolds