In a world where five to seven career changes in a lifetime is the new average for Australian workers, there is no doubt that learning is here to stay. We all need to learn more, faster and receive information in shorter bites. The questions most people should be asking themselves at the moment are:

• What is on your ‘to do’ list when it comes to learning new things?
• How do you fit learning into your already jam-packed work/life schedule?

Thanks to technology and remote learning, it’s never been easier to facilitate safe-paced learning. The realities of the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated remote learning. Once upon a time, children swapping classrooms to learn at home through a laptop screen, would have seemed unfathomable. Due to the pandemic, this form of learning is now all-too familiar to many students and families.

As a worker in 2021 and beyond who can expect to have five to seven different careers while in the workforce, how do you know what you’d like to learn? Self-reflection and self-assessment are incredibly underrated skills. Both will help you to identify where your gaps lie. It’s also important to engage with those around you — having conversations with your team members, leaders, suppliers and even customers can help you to gather useful information. As always, not every conversation you have will resonate with you. When having these conversations, tune in and consider:

• What elements of these conversations are resonating with you?
• What aspects interest you?

Break down these conversations into bite size pieces and sort each piece into categories according to whether you feel passionate about them or are interested in them. Most of us have some understanding regarding areas or skills that we label as being ‘weaker’. Ask yourself if it’s time to invest in these areas and if doing so will provide you with more confidence. You may be aware of what others may perceive are ‘weaknesses’ without any desire to change this. That’s okay providing fear isn’t driving these feelings.

As humans, we excel when we have a genuine interest in what we’re pursuing. I always advise people to pursue what interests them. Learning can be fun, interesting and help you to build knowledge and confidence. The best way to future-proof yourself in today’s workforce is to consistently add to your tool-kit over time.

Personally, I find that learning is a great way to focus my mind. I’ve committed to completing one course per week with my team via the OnTalent Career Hub, which is a digital library of programs ranging in length from 5 minutes to two days. People have access to around 70,000 courses across every topic you can imagine! 

With so many approaches to learning these days, there is an approach to cater for almost everyone. Introverts may find themselves pulled towards remote learning whereas extroverts may prefer to learn face-to-face. There is no right or wrong way to learn.

Sure, everyone is time poor but with self-paced learning widely available and accessible, being too busy is no longer a valid excuse. If you are already engaging in any type of learning, be sure to keep any assessments or certificates earned handy as they may help to identify opportunities for future growth.

Investing in our own self-growth is important and the responsibility to do so rests with us!

Find out how the OnTalent Career Hub can support ongoing upskilling and boost employee engagement in a post-Covid world by filling in your contact details in this form. We’ll contact you within 48 hours to explain how you can access material from some of the best content creators in the world working within your budget. We are also able to package the Career Hub with Career Coaching and Leadership Development programs depending on your needs.

Deborah Wilson is a Thought Leader and a Career Strategist. She takes a personalised approach to strategic career coaching and career transitions, mentoring and leadership development. Deborah provides expert guidance for individuals while supporting organisations through change and connecting people and purpose.