9 Reasons Why Continuous Learning is Important for Your Career & Personal Development

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“The only thing that is constant is
change.” – Heraclitus

Especially with the advancements in
technology, the world is constantly changing, and it’s up to you to keep up
with it (which is near impossible if you don’t have a growth mindset).

The
only way for you to do this is to accept yourself as being a lifelong learner,
both in your personal and your professional life.

In this article, we are going to look at 9 reasons why it’s important to focus on continuous learning as a way to improve your opportunities for personal development as well as your career potential.

But first, let’s take a look at what continuous learning is.

What is Continuous Learning?

Knowledge is more obtainable now than
ever before. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection and you can
learn just about anything you want. People who do not take advantage of this
become obsolete as their skills and abilities start to diminish in relevancy.

In your personal life, continuous
learning is about the perpetual expansion of your skill set through
learning–and building upon existing knowledge. As life changes, so does the need to
adapt yourself personally and be persistent with opening doors to potential
future opportunities.

Professionally, continuous learning is about expanding your skills to keep up with
quickly emerging developments. Continuous learning helps you avoid
stagnation in any profession and ensures that you keep moving forward toward
reaching your full potential. And, depending upon your industry, continuous
learning could be vital to your employability.

In fact, a 2017 study done by Deloitte found that software engineers have to completely redevelop their skills every 12-18 months. Because continuous learning supports employees’ improvement of their skills to help the business reach its goals, continuous learning is typically a foundational value of any corporate culture.

In turn, employees are starting to demand
updated and ongoing trainings. This same study found that 42% of millennials are currently considering leaving their job because
they don’t believe they’re learning enough or at the pace that they should be
in order to keep up with the rest of the competitive business world.

Think about what would happen if another
invention as big as computers were to emerge. On a personal level, computers
have changed the way we communicate with people. It’s not uncommon now to have
a good friend or confidant whom you’ve never actually met in person. It’s also
become pretty standard to meet the love of your life online. And, people use social media to reconnect with
people from elementary school!

To know the impact of computers in a
professional setting–think about a time
you were working and the power went out.

That’s an emotionally jarring moment.

Well, maybe not for someone who never learned
to work a computer, but for the vast majority of the world who engaged in
continuous learning, that moment is dreadful.

Businesses have started to support continuous learning for their employees by sending them to trainings and seminars to stay up-to-date with their industry. Retaining employees and helping them grow is much more cost-efficient than seeking new people who come equipped with that knowledge already. 

Businesses want to invest in retaining and
developing their employees so they can respond accordingly to the company’s
constantly-changing needs. And, aside
from saving money, offering continuous learning to employees is a way for a
company to show its personnel that they’re worth the investment.

Now that you have a good idea of what
continuous learning is, let’s look at 9 specific reasons why it’s important for
your career and personal development.

9 Reasons Why Continuous Learning
is a Critical Element of Success

The benefits of continuous learning for your
personal and professional life aren’t mutually exclusive, as personal
development can improve your job prospects and professional development can
lead to personal growth. That said, you will find many of the benefits listed
here could apply to either your personal or professional life, or both.

1. Stay Relevant

It doesn’t take long to get left behind with
new technologies emerging on a regular basis. You have to be self-motivated to stay
up-to-date with changing trends so you can adapt your skills however it’s
necessary. To retain your value to any
employer, you need to keep up with the times.

What’s more, with the knowledge that you
acquire, you may be able to help other
people when they’re stuck and need some advice. You will be seen as a leader, which will let you inspire
others to adopt a love for learning as well. This is especially true if you can explain complicated things to people in simple ways–not
only does this exhibit your mastery of the subject, it will also help people
understand it.

What’s more, if you’ve ever been the one to
introduce a new tool to your company, you know how rewarding it feels. If you
can stay “in the know” about up-and-coming technologies, you will definitely
impress your boss and colleagues.

2. Become Multi-Functional

With some cross-training, you can become an
even more valuable asset to your company. You may be able to think of someone
at your company who seemingly has an answer to everything–by engaging in
continuous learning, that person could be you. You’d be able to:

3. Stay Engaged… and Interested

There are few things as dreadful as spending
40 hours a week completely bored. Being able to remain engaged with your work
and view your job as a “purpose” rather than a “place” is a critical factor to
staying mentally stimulated and motivated to do your best.

Forbes agrees that continuous training is of utmost importance when it comes to keeping employees engaged and wanting to show up to work every day. So, as an employee and an employer, continuous learning is in your best interest.

4. Come Up With New Ideas

When you’re constantly learning new
information, you will eventually be able to connect various ideas or tools to each other and develop your own
innovative ideas that have been inspired by other assorted materials. Also,
as you’re acquiring new skills, you will face opportunities to come up with
innovative solutions to problems. Being innovative could potentially help you
earn you more money.

5. Boost Your Resume

As you broaden your skills, you’ll be able to add
more components to your resume. Even if you’re not adding another “official”
degree, you can create a “skills” section and list the competencies you’ve
acquired on your own.

Also, continuous learning will lead to continuous improvement, which can support your career growth. This can help you expand the number of letters of recommendation that you obtain from colleagues and people whom you can list as a reference for future jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of jobs that people have in their lifetime is 12. So, chances are that you’ll switch jobs at least a few times throughout your life, and you will need to have the necessary skills to adapt accordingly.

6. You’ll Be Prepared for the
Unexpected

As I’m sure you know, change is a pretty
constant factor in life. Committing to a life of continuous learning helps you
prepare for any change that is yet to come. Learning exposes you to new ideas
and takes you out of your comfort zone.

History does repeat itself, however, people
aren’t always great at learning from it. Learning from others’ mistakes or
successes can help you respond more
effectively to something unexpected that arises. Using your current
knowledge to avoid reinventing the wheel can save you a lot of time and energy.

For example, let’s say you get diagnosed with
a chronic illness. While you wouldn’t be expected to know how to solve this problem, as a continuous learner, you may be
prepared with at least a basic understanding of what the illness is, knowledge of useful resources in your area,
healthy coping mechanisms, and where to go for help–both physically and
emotionally. Being equipped with this knowledge will help you handle the
pressure and strong feelings that come along with your diagnosis.

7. You Will Have More Confidence

Learning new things will help you feel a sense
of accomplishment and boost your confidence in your abilities. It
prepares you to take on new challenges and explore uncharted territories. With
enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills, you will be confident in
a variety of situations that could otherwise make you nervous if you weren’t
equipped with the experience of continuous learning.

For example, we’re all tasked with making
important political decisions by voting. The thought of going to the polls may be really intimidating to you if you
haven’t stayed current on recent political events or how each presidential
candidate could have a direct impact on your life. But if you’re a continuous
learner, you’ll be able to show up confident and prepared when it’s time to
vote because you will understand the
impacts of modern politics.

8. Be Open to New Perspectives

When you’re constantly learning, you’re always
being exposed to new perspectives. Continuous
learning can make you think more objectively and be more accepting of different
opinions. By building on your current knowledge with other people’s ideas
and beliefs, your attitude may change–along with your own point of view. The
more you know, the better you’ll be at understanding various sides of the same
situation, which will allow you to have a deeper awareness of issues. 

9. Help Maintain Cognitive
Function

No matter how you learn things, keeping your brain active in such a way will keep your cognitive function at optimal levels. Your brain is similar to your muscles in the sense that it needs “exercise” and activity to stay strong. So, in order to reduce risks to your cognitive health as you age, keep the new information flowing, no matter what your age is.

Final Thoughts on Continuous
Learning

You can acquire new knowledge and build your
skill-sets anywhere. Learning is almost unavoidable these days with the amount
of information that gets thrown at us every day. However, continuous learning
is about maintaining a positive attitude toward personal and professional
learning.

If you’re employed, do what you can to
participate in any training that is offered or any potential coaching
opportunities that come your way. Be proactive about your learning and ask for it. This way, you will become
better at your job more valuable to employers–both current and future.

However, as previously mentioned, people don’t
spend their entire lives in the same job anymore, and companies are turning more
to independent contractors and short-term workers for services. The more you
know and the more flexible you can be about your direction in our ever-changing
job market, the easier it will be for you to figure out an employment situation
under any conditions.