It’s no secret that learning new things is important. It’s what we’ve built the foundation of our world on. From the moment you’re born, you spend every day learning new things. So why is it that once we get into a job we maybe don’t love, we just let ourselves stay stagnant going through the motions, eliminating learning from our daily routine? For part two of our How to Make Your Job Work for You blog series, we’re going to share how continuing education can be a force for good in your happiness and continued development.
Ready to learn?
How Continuing Education at Work Has Changed
The world of work today is changing as the demographics of the workforce shift. In years past, Boomers were taught to get a job, learn the skills for that job, and stay there for their entire career. Today, as millennial and Gen Z employees dominate the workforce, that trajectory couldn’t be farther from the norm. More and more employees are looking to use their current roles as an opportunity to grow, a development opportunity, not simply a source of a paycheck.
So how does this translate to today’s workplace and happiness?
If you’re in a rut at work—you don’t have to quit to regain your happiness. Start by trying to learn something new! Use your current situation as an opportunity to develop and better yourself, and who knows, maybe in the interim you’ll re-learn how to love your job or realize features of it you never knew before. While this may not have been the norm years ago, there are so many incredible opportunities you can find for free online or through your company. Don’t let that HR annual stipend go to waste—only 10% of employees use that tuition reimbursement! Take a course at your local university, study for that certification you’ve been contemplating for years, take a leadership or management course, or find a one-to-one coaching and professional training program like NimblyWise to help you level up personally, and professionally. The options are limitless!
3 Ways Continuing Education Can Help You Revive Your Spirit
Now you may be asking, “Well, how will doing these things help me love my work again?” Here’s how…
It Changes Up Your Routine with Something to Look Forward to
If you’re doing the same thing day in and day out or have been doing the same job for 10 years where even the daily flux feels the same, it’s going to get boring. This will inevitably lead to you feeling uninspired and disengaged. But what would happen if you added continuing education to your day to day? It will give you something to look forward to. You may meet new colleagues you’ve never met before, or new friends outside of work. This will inspire you in new ways and mix up your routine making things feel fresh!
You May Find a New Passion, or Remind Yourself of an Old One
If you’ve always wanted to do something like learn how to use Photoshop for those marketing projects or take a leadership course to be a better manager—just do it! You may find a whole new passion hiding in that course that either changes your trajectory or gives you something new to work on in your current role, reviving your passion. Either way, it’s a win!
It Takes You Out of Your Comfort Zone
You may be staying in your comfort zone without even realizing it, which is making your job less than enjoyable! It’s often easier to stay there and be bored than fear failing or being bad at something new. But sometimes failing and learning is what you need to re-energize you. Try it!
Use Your Human Resources Stipend with NimblyWise
If you’re feeling stuck and not sure what to do in your career at the moment, you’re not alone. Take a deep breath and talk to your human resources department about opportunities to invest in your education. Don’t quit! Our NimblyWise team helps professionals daily, meeting them where they’re at to work through their challenges and pain points in their career, to help get them on the path to success. If this sounds like it could be helpful to you during this phase in your life and career, visit our contact page and let’s chat!
