3 Practical Ways To Boost Your Skills Outside Of The Workplace

Want to succeed in your career? Of course, you do. Sometimes, when it comes to career development, you need to take your career into your own hands and create opportunities for yourself. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to your career – there are always opportunities to learn and grow.

Interested in making your mark and moving up the career ladder?  Here are some practical ways to boost your skills outside of the workplace.

Learn a language

Learning a language has many benefits, especially for your career. Employers like to see additional language skills on a resume while having a second language under your hat can also open up opportunities to travel and work internationally. Learning a language is easily done thanks to online courses, or you can find out which classes are available locally to help you learn with others. Studying a new language can be a lot of fun and can widen your social circle, while also giving you your career boost.

Go back to school

If you want to take the next step in your career, sometimes some additional study can give you the push and the skills you need to move forward. It’s never too late to learn, and the fact that there are so many great online and part-time courses available today means that you can study around work, your family commitments and your social life to make it as easy as possible for you to gain your new qualifications. If it’s a career change that you’re looking for, consider study programs that are vocational and give you practical skills to boost your career. Studying to become a bachelor of hotel management, for example, will teach you everything you need to know to become a successful hotel manager – giving you some worthwhile experience too. Whereas, an msn degree can lead you into healthcare and give you the opportunity to advance into management. Your employer might be able to support your continued education, so talk to them about any funding that’s available or study leave you can take to help you succeed.

Undertake a work placement or shadowing opportunity

Undertake a work placement or shadowing opportunity

While you might think your days of work placements or shadowing are behind you, you shouldn’t underestimate their value when it comes to boosting your career prospects. A short placement can help give you a feel for a job or even help introduce you to some new contacts who could benefit from your career in the future. It can also give you a greater perspective of what can make you feel fulfilled in your career journey. Shadowing within an environment such as a caregiver agency can be a great reminder that it’s not all about the pre-defined structure in the workplace. Shadowing or even volunteering can provide you with real, human-based skills that your workplace could be severely lacking! If your current employer is unwilling to help you develop your skills, then seeking these opportunities elsewhere can help you to get what you need to move up. It might require some sacrifices such as taking vacation days or working unpaid, but it will be worth it to get this vital experience.

Taking your career into your own hands can make you more determined to succeed and help you take advantage of those available opportunities. With some positive motivation you can convince yourself that anything is possible – so make sure you reach out and grab the things that you want. Keep an eye open for ways to develop your skills so that you can continue to succeed in your chosen career.

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