What do Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet and Oprah Winfrey have in common? Apart from the fact that they are amongst the richest people on the planet, they are also known for spending at least 5 hours a week learning new skills.
You can learn a lot from the most successful people in the world, like how to be successful yourself. One thing that stands out is that these people never stop learning. Learning is one of the best investments that you can make in your life, and luckily, it doesn’t have to be in a school environment.
The Importance Of Learning New Skills
1. You’ll Stay Relevant
We live in a fast-paced era. There are new things being released into the market almost daily, and it can be dizzying trying to keep up.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re already working or are currently looking for a job; adding new skills to your skill set will make you more knowledgeable and ensure that you remain relevant in this fast-paced world. Otherwise, you will lose out to your peers who may be more updated on the latest trends.
2. You’ll Increase Your Income
Who doesn’t want to have more income? Learning a new skill is important if you want to advance your career and improve your income. Your new skill can easily propel you into a better position with better pay.
3. You’ll Open New Doors
Feeling stuck in your career? You don’t have to remain in a dead-end job or a career you hate, forever. You can make changes by learning new skills that can help you secure a different job. Your new skills will help you open doors that you may never have had the opportunity to previously.
4. You’ll Stand Out From The Crowd
The competition in the job market is high. Everyone has the qualifications, and many have the experience for any available position. It can thus be hard securing a position. However, if you have some extra skills that are relevant to the job, you will have a significant advantage over the other candidates.
Why Aren’t People Upgrading Their Skills?
If learning new skills offers so many benefits, why aren’t more people doing it? The most common reasons most people don’t consider upgrading their skills include:
1. Lack Of Time
Many people complain of lacking time to upgrade their skills. They believe that the day simply doesn’t have enough hours for them to dedicate time to learning a new skill.
This, however, is only an excuse. With a little creativity and time management, you can curve out enough time for self-improvement.
2. Complacency
Many people become complacent with their lives and careers. They think that since they are doing well, there is no reason to consider upgrading their skills.
How To Beat The Excuses And Learn A New Skill
1. Start Small
Learning a new skill can seem intimidating, especially if you have no experience in the field. It helps to break it down and start with the fundamentals. As you gain an understanding of the simple concepts, you will become more confident when it’s time to jump into the deep end and learn more complex concepts.
The key to learning a new skill is to have a strong foundation and build on it.
2. Sign Up For An Online Course
Online courses allow you to learn a new skill at your own pace. You can decide how much time you spend on the lesson, and when you do it. You can even download the lessons and learn on the go. Online courses offer a great deal of flexibility.
3. Create A Routine And Be Consistent
Learning a new skill takes time and commitment. Creating a routine will help you ensure that you have a specific time dedicated to learning. Be consistent. Your knowledge will built over time, and you will soon be confident enough to apply your skills.
4. Efficiency Is Key
You don’t have to sit down for a 2-hour session to learn a new skill. A short session, e.g. 20 minutes, that involves great focus will beat a 2-hour session with a wandering mind. Start small and lengthen your sessions as your interest and skills grow.
Skills To Consider For Upgrading
You shouldn’t learn a skill for the sake of it. It’s important to know what skills you should focus on to improve your career options. The following are some of the best skills to learn if you want to remain competitive in Singapore’s job market.
1. A Language
Being able to speak more than one language can open up many doors for you in the professional world. It can allow you to work in new markets or seek new business opportunities.
It’s important to consider market growth and trading opportunities when choosing a language to learn. According to a recent report by the British Council, the top languages to consider learning include Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Arabic, Mandarin, German, Italian, Russian and Arabic.
2. Information Security
Cyber-security is a big deal today, with so many people sharing personal information online while making transactions. Cyber attacks have increased in frequency as hackers seek to steal this information.
Skills in information security can help to improve your career options. You’ll have to have some skills in coding and programming to learn how to build Firewalls and other data protection programs.
3. Presentation Skills
Presentation skills are vital in the professional world. They’ll help you sell anything to your audience. Your presentation can help you either make or break a deal.
Learn presentation skills such as creating interesting and informative infographics, videos, tutorials and slides. You may need to learn how to use tools such as Keynote, Lightroom and Photoshop to create visuals that grab attention and tell an interesting narrative.
4. Content Marketing
Content marketing is vital in the digital era. It involves creating content to attract a specific audience. Learn how to sell to people on social media and other online platforms. This skill combines various other skills including communication, research and idea creation.
5. Data Mining
Data mining allows companies to predict consumer behaviors and project future trends. It involves collecting data from transactions, social media and sales reports. The information is deconstructed to provide predictive models.
6. Crisis Management
We live in an age where information is shared widely and spreads quickly. A negative word from a consumer about a product or service can easily cause major losses to a company. Crisis management can help to avert online crises. It can help to provide solutions for the problem.
7. App Development
Apps allow us to do things on the go. There is an app for almost everything today, and there seems to be new apps being released into the market daily.
You don’t need to earn a degree to become an app developer. You can learn to develop an app within days.
8. UX Design
If the users don’t have a good experience while using an app, website or program, they are not likely to use it again. User experience design is vital for the success of any website, program or app. This skill will help you make confusing interfaces user-friendly.
Don’t put off updating your skills till tomorrow. Get cracking right now and improve your career opportunities.
About Lending Bee
In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, you can count on one thing – your partner in credit, Lending Bee. Just like an industrious bee, we are committed to helping each and every customer access credit – quickly, easily and seamlessly.
