What are the best ways to gain new skills and knowledge for career advancement?

Prioritize learning by impact - what will deliver the greatest return on time invested based on your development objectives. Assess your current role and future trajectory. Gap analysis between your existing capabilities and required competencies will reveal the highest value learning needs. Books, videos, and online content are readily accessible for self-directed learning.

The job market landscape will always shift. Working towards career advancement is vital to stay ahead of change. Having a strategy and following through is part of the process during a professional development journey, but an assessment is needed to create the ideal path. Identifying areas for improvement and further growth should be the first step for any career advancement goal. In conjunction with emerging workforce trends, an assessment helps map out beneficial learning opportunities to gain knowledge and skills to reach the desired level of career success.

Find a mentor. Someone who is having an impact you aspire to have in a couple of years. Connect and build a relationship with them. Be curious about who they were and who they now are. Ask questions like: When you look back, what do you want to be remembered for? Was there a moment when the ‘why’ behind your work became crystal clear? How did it transform your approach? What feedback have you had that knocked you, but ultimately led you to become stronger? What strategies have you found to help stay grounded? Who’s helped you get where you are, even if you disagreed with them? Reflect on their answers and see what it reveals about yourself. This will give you context for your own plan.

If you're looking to advance your career, gaining new skills and knowledge is an important step. Start by assessing your current skills and defining clear goals for what you want to learn. Once that's done, scout for resources like courses or mentors to help you. Make learning a routine by setting aside time for it and apply what you learn in real-world scenarios. It's also beneficial to seek feedback and track your progress. Don’t forget to adapt your learning plan as industries evolve and celebrate your achievements to stay motivated. Investing in your learning will, in turn, boost your career.

The most important part of the first step is to identify where it is you want to go in your career, as this will inform your learning needs and avoid you wasting time and effort. Feedback is critical, although should be approached strategically. A lack of self-confidence or belief could lead you to thinking you need to improve, when you're actually working well. Be willing to accept honest and constructive feedback, even if it is uncomfortable to hear, and ask others whom you respect, what they do.

Volunteering is one of the most powerful methods for learning new skills. Non-profits are always looking for talented, passionate people to help meet their needs. Most of my biggest skills development has come from volunteering because there are fewer barriers to entry, and you have ample opportunities to step into leadership roles. For example, TEDx offers opportunities to serve in event planning, speaker coaching, and logistics. Community organizations offer opportunities to learn how to mentor, gain business knowledge, facilitate trainings, or learn technical skills.

While formal and informal ways of learning - such as courses, books, podcasts etc are valuable, one of the absolute best ways to learn is by doing. Seek out opportunities to join or lead projects, or to take on roles at the next level of seniority. You will identify your gaps and learn far more quickly when you do it experientially.

I often joke... if it's not written down it doesn't exist! When setting goals, it's important to take the time to write them down. Maybe you like pen and paper, maybe it's a google doc, maybe you want them on your bathroom mirror, whatever you choose, take the time to actually write down your goals. This will help you treat them as a real and as such something worth pursuing.

The best way to gain new skills and knowledge for career advancement is through continued learning, including taking courses or workshops that are relevant to the industry. I recommend reading books or online articles related to your field of expertise or expanding into adjacent topics. Also, networking with other professionals in your field can help you learn from their experiences and make useful connections. These methods will help you stay competitive and up-to-date with the latest trends.

Accountability can be important here, especially when you are making time for learning as well as an already busy role. Working with a mentor within the organisation can help to keep you on track, identify new opportunities to implement your learning, help you review and reflect, and give encouragement when needed.

Review your plan regularly, at least every 3 months. Evaluate which learning methods have been most effective for you. Lean into techniques that maximize your retention and application of new skills. Expand your learning horizons into complementary or transferable skills. Broadening your capabilities beyond your niche makes you more versatile.

Whenever you start to feel too comfortable, or feel like you are stagnating, start to think about the next challenge and the next level you would like to achieve - and repeat the process again.

Whenever you are looking to get to the next level, it is important to be honest and objective about whether your current organisation is the right place for you to learn and grow. Factors to consider include whether the organisation will support your training, provide you with opportunities, and whether there are opportunities for you to progress up the career ladder. If not, it may be time to look elsewhere!

There are 2 simple ways to gain new skills in order to move up : read and disconnect sometimes from social media. You won't be able to do all the experiences yourself. Thanks to books you can learn from others' successes and mistakes. When you disconnect from social media, you will have a unique space of your own to experience things. You will be in touch with the humans and as a result, grow in knowledge and people skills.