Professional Behaviour - Learningfor Knowledge and Skills

Case study

Amy is a 36-year-old waitress who has worked in this position for the last six years. About two years into waitressing, Amy found that she had developed a real skill for sales and marketing. She decided to enrol in a marketing degree, as she felt a strong passion for the field. With the new knowledge she acquired through her studies, she became better at her job overall.

Amy felt it was time to look for another job with a higher salary. With a degree in marketing and her extensive knowledge of customer service from years of waitressing, Amy was able to secure a new job as a sales representative for a large company. Amy is delighted, and realises that the best thing she did for herself was to further her education.

What is lifelong learning, and why is it important?

Lifelong learning refers to learning for personal growth and development that is initiated by the individual. Its focus is on continually acquiring new skills or knowledge in order to improve one's future prospects. While there is no single agreed definition, many people view lifelong learning as learning that takes place outside formal institutions such as schools or universities. It can also be regarded as voluntary learning undertaken for personal fulfilment and satisfaction.

As humans, we have an inherent need to learn and grow as individuals and to become productive members of society. The desire to improve ourselves and our lives is often what inspires people to pursue lifelong learning — and lifelong learning is rewarding in itself. There are additional benefits too:

- Remain relevant. By constantly upskilling and reskilling, people remain valuable to employers and to their sector.

- Prepares you for the unexpected. Learning helps prepare you for unexpected change and enables you to step into new roles.

- Boosts your profile and online presence. Continuous improvement is likely to attract the attention of employers who use online platforms for recruitment.

- Changes your perspective. Continuous learning expands the mind and changes how a person perceives the world around them. The more you learn and develop, the better you become at seeing different sides of the same situation.

- Pay it forward. The more you study, the more you develop your leadership skills, which in turn enables you to encourage others to further develop themselves through education.

Despite knowing the benefits of lifelong learning, many people find it difficult to continue studying, often struggling to regain a "study" rhythm once their formal education has ended. Below are a few ways to adopt lifelong learning in your life.

1. Identify your personal interests and goals. What are your interests, and what do you hope to achieve? If you want to learn a new skill, methods such as online tutorials can help you get there.

2. List everything you would like to learn or become skilled at. Once you've identified your interests, determine what you wish to achieve within them. Is it a casual interest, or a passion strong enough to pursue to postgraduate level? Identifying this is important, as each level requires a different approach to learning.

3. Identify how to get started and what resources are available. Research your area of interest to determine the best course of action. For example, if you're interested in the English language and want to study it to Master's level, research universities near you — or institutions offering the course online or by distance learning — along with the entry requirements and what is needed to reach that level of study.

4. Fit your learning goal into your life. Slotting a learning goal into an already busy life can be difficult, but if you cannot make time for it, you are unlikely to achieve it. Understanding the time and effort the goal requires will help you stay motivated and focused without becoming overwhelmed.

5. Make a commitment. Commit to your goal. If you can stay focused and motivated, your chances of achieving it are high.

Conclusion

Learning and studying is never easy, but fostering a positive attitude towards lifelong learning helps a person improve themselves and their career prospects. Lifelong learning creates better leaders, broadens your thinking and keeps you valuable to your employer — reason enough to invest time in yourself.