How can you develop technical skills outside of your job role?

1 Identify your learning goals

The first step to developing technical skills outside of your job role is to identify your learning goals. What are the specific skills or knowledge areas that you want to learn or improve? How do they align with your career aspirations, interests, or passions? How will they benefit you in your current or future roles? Having clear and realistic learning goals will help you focus your efforts, measure your progress, and stay motivated.

2 Find relevant resources

The next step is to find relevant resources that match your learning goals and preferences. There are many online platforms, courses, books, podcasts, blogs, videos, and podcasts that offer technical training and education for various topics and levels. You can also look for offline resources, such as workshops, seminars, conferences, or mentors, that can provide you with hands-on experience and feedback. Depending on your budget, time, and availability, you can choose the resources that suit your needs and learning style.

3 Create a learning plan

Creating a learning plan is essential for organizing your learning activities, setting deadlines, tracking achievements, and reviewing outcomes. Your plan should include a list of skills or topics you want to learn or improve, a description of the resources you'll use for each skill or topic, a schedule of learning sessions including duration, frequency, and location, and a method of assessing progress and results such as quizzes, tests, projects, or portfolios. With an organized learning plan in place, you can ensure that you meet your learning goals.

4 Apply your learning

Developing technical skills outside of your job role is best accomplished by applying your learning to real-world situations and challenges. Doing so will help you solidify your understanding, hone your skills, and prove your value. You can apply your knowledge in a variety of ways, such as creating a project that displays your abilities, volunteering for an organization that requires your expertise, joining online or offline communities that have similar objectives to yours, and requesting feedback from mentors or peers who can provide guidance.

5 Keep learning

The final step to developing technical skills outside of your job role is to keep learning. Technology is ever-changing and so are the demands and expectations of the market and employers. To remain competitive, you must update and upgrade your skills regularly. You can achieve this by following the latest trends in your field of expertise, exploring new tools or methods that can enhance your skills, taking on challenging tasks or projects that require you to use new skills, and seeking different learning opportunities that can expand your knowledge or perspective.