How New Skills Can Transform Your Life

Over the past 15 months, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc with all our lives. While many frontline workers are stressed as never before, others are stuck at home in a kind of hibernation. (Pssst - The River of Calm provides music to soothe anxious and weary souls, so make sure to visit the site for comfort.)  For now, if you are ready to move forward and restart your career as life is returning to normal, it might be a good time to give your career a boost with the help of online learning. Here is how to start.

Online Education

Type the words ‘online learning’ into any search engine, and you are inundated with choices. Although not necessarily a bad thing, this can be intimidating. Unless you have unlimited time, it’s worth carefully considering what exactly you are looking for. This will help narrow down your search further.

Start by looking at your current career: What do you like about it, and what would you like to change? Perhaps you have been stuck at the same level for a while and have been overlooked for promotion. Perhaps you have gone as far as you can with your current employer. In both cases, learning new skills can help.

Online learning makes it easy and convenient to fit your learning around your existing schedule. By completing the curriculum in your own time, you don’t have to forgo family time or cut corners in your current job. Moreover, you study at your own pace, without being rushed by or waiting for the rest of the class. Many online learning programs feature collaboration and communication tools for those who prefer learning in a group.

Continuous Improvement

Take your time choosing which qualification is right for you. If you are looking to progress from your current level to the next, consider what type of skills will be most useful. Do you need technical skills, such as data analysis and presentation, or would you benefit more from so-called soft skills, such as improved business communication?

Both are equally important, and they are closely related when it comes to career development. The most impressive academic or scientific skills will only get you so far if you struggle with job interviews, for example.

The Next Level

Job interviews require confidence and presentation skills. Some professionals are natural performers during interviews, while others panic, get stressed, and clam up, leaving a questionable impression. If the latter sounds like you, building confidence for interviews alone would be worth an online class. The skills you learn there are essentially presentation skills. They will transfer easily to future boardroom presentations and other scenarios.

Data analysis is another field that can significantly advance your career. Any business decision, from marketing to finance, is based on or influenced by data analysis. Understanding what statistics and other data are based on is the first step towards successful analysis. Learning which sources to trust and which to question is another. Presenting the numbers in a way that’s easy to understand for those not familiar with them completes this skill set.

As businesses rely on data more and more, gaining a formal qualification in this field will give you an advantage. This can make the difference between achieving the promotion you want or landing your dream job – or remaining in your current position.

Learning new skills or expanding your existing knowledge will boost your overall confidence. You new skills will also help motivate and energize you to pursue your goals. Lastly, give yourself grace and take a moment to be mindful with the help of The River of Calm’s musical resources.

***
Source: Marjorie McMillian @ Come On Get Well

Image via Pexels