What would it do for your career if you were more knowledgeable than others in your field? Had a broader understanding of your industry? Always knew the latest advancements, industry 'gossip', business deals or changes in your field?
At the very least it would increase your credibility. It could also raise your salary, your status and hone your ability to do a high quality job.
You don't have to be the most knowledgeable person in the world. You just need to surpass the people around you in terms of the depth of your knowledge. Even if you have 10% more product knowledge, have independently researched the latest programming code, or have read an overseas article about latest marketing strategies and can share your knowledge with others - you will stand out.
A lot of the time people think they have to return to tertiary study to become more qualified in their field. Sometimes this is true, but there is a significant amount of hands on practical knowledge that you can gain by personal application.
So how much time will you commit to being the best?
10 minutes? 20 minutes? Diary in a time every day where you can add to your knowledge.
Try:
- Reading the newspaper every day focussing on headlines/articles about your area/industry
- Subscribing to (and reading) industry/technical magazines
- Searching the internet for particular key words
- Receiving automatic RSS feeds
- Reading non-fiction books
- Watching movies, videos, documentaries etc that profile people in your industry
- Going to networking events, seminars, conferences
- Subscribing to newsletters (trust me, there are 1000s! to choose from)
With very little effort, you can become switched on to what is important in your field.
If you find this difficult or boring – then you seriously need to think about your choice of industry or job. People who are passionate about their work are naturally hungry for more information about it.
Start reading and learning!
Jo Mills
Jo is the Managing Director of Career Analysts. Career Strategies, Career Analysts work with you to maximise your career success, helping you to find and succeed in work suited to your motivations, talents, values and preferences. Go to www.careeranalysts.co.nz for more information.