The Working Professional's Guide To Filling Knowledge Gaps

We all need knowledge in some shape or form to succeed in life. Unfortunately, we rarely have access to this information from a single source. Instead, we are compelled to go with the flow, pick things up on the job, and learn by trial and error. Everyone you encounter will know something about something you don't know, as Bill Nye famously stated, but how do you learn this information for later use and personal gain?

Knowledge gaps are something that all professionals face at some point in their career path. If you're not sure of your knowledge gaps, it can be difficult to address them and move forward with confidence.

If you're interested in changing careers, or just want to make sure your skills are up-to-date, there are ways you can identify what you don't know and fill in those? gaps. You can also use informal learning to acquire the skills and knowledge that are needed to succeed in a new field or career path.

How do you know what you don't know?

We know there are things we don’t know, and our job is to spot them so we can close those knowledge gaps. Normally, the telltale sign is that we can’t reach our goals because we don’t have the required skills or knowledge.

But why wait until the damage is done? Do you let your petrol light flash for a day before getting fuel, or do you pre-empt that with an early fill-up? The same principle applies to our careers. We can’t let ourselves run out of fuel, so we have to fill up early and often with new skills, and by actively pursuing new knowledge. That way, when the time comes to make a move on your career path, you won’t find yourself stranded with no fuel in sight!

Knowledge gaps are like a huge pit in your career path: you can try to jump over them, but it’s just not going to work. Instead, the best way forward is by filling those gaps with new skills and knowledge.

What exactly is a knowledge gap?

Put simply, a knowledge gap refers to a situation where you feel like you don’t have the right skills or knowledge to do your job effectively. You may feel stuck in a rut, wondering how long it will be before you can move forward with your career. A knowledge gap is the difference between the information that you know vs. what your organization or prospective career needs you to know. In other words, you have a knowledge gap when you have a task to complete, but they don’t know how to complete it.?

So, what can you do about this? You need to find a way of learning new skills and knowledge that will fill the gap. It’s not always possible to find an existing course or certification that will give you exactly what you need; however, there are plenty of ways to develop your own training program in order to get over the knowledge gap.

Approaching knowledge gaps as an individual.

While organizations may conduct a knowledge or skills gap analysis, it is not always possible for an individual to do so. The skills gap in business is apparent, both within organizations and the market itself. In fact, 43% of employers say that while there are more than enough applicants available, the number of applicants with the required skills is exceedingly low. As an individual, you can approach your knowledge gaps in a number of ways:

• Look at your current skills and qualifications and identify areas where you need to develop new ones (e.g., if you are applying for a new position that requires experience with MS Office programs)
• Identify the tasks that are required for the job role you want
• Classify the knowledge and skills required in order to perform those tasks
• Pinpoint the resources that you can use to develop these skills (e.g., books, online courses, practice)
• Establish the gaps between what you know now and what you need to know in order to perform those tasks effectively

If time is on your side, and you're willing to conduct your own small-scale version of a knowledge gap analysis, then give it a try. If not, then you'll need to look at the larger picture and determine what gaps exist between what you know now and what you need in order to perform the tasks required in your job role. In other words, a knowledge gap analysis is about identifying where your skills and knowledge are lacking, so you can take steps to close those gaps.

A simple, yet effective way of identifying your gaps - is to almost examine someone who is already doing a job that you want. A little LinkedIn stalking never hurt anyone! Find out what they're interested in, what skills they've listed, and what qualifications or certifications they possess. Once you're armed with this information, you can devise your own strategy for reaching the same point in your knowledge acquisition journey.?

Where do certifications fit in?

With people competing for the same jobs from all over the world, thanks to the likes of LinkedIn, job sites - and the advancement of remote work, it may be incredibly challenging to stand out in the sea of resumes. Obtaining professional certifications—certificates stating you have unique talents required in your industry—is one method to stand out.

Of course, certifications have their benefits - but they come at a cost that is more than just financial. They take time. And time is an asset that is in short supply.

Before you pull the trigger and sign up for a lengthy course, remember that not all certifications are made equal.?

Here are 10 steps to guide you.

1. Leverage the power of LinkedIn.?
2. If you are aware of your career objectives, look for individuals on LinkedIn who hold titles that are comparable to your ideal position. (If you don’t know your objectives, then give this quiz a try) You might be able to spot some commonalities in the certifications those people have and don't have by looking at enough LinkedIn profiles. If many people with your ideal career have a particular certification, it might be worthwhile to look into it. This might give you a solid place to start your investigation.
3. What does the industry ask for?
4. Certain positions call for certifications. So if you notice that most of the positions that you’re interested in mandate the same certification, prepare yourself to obtain it.?
5. Tap into what you really want to learn.
6. Go towards professional certifications related to your true passions. Continuous learning needs to be a part of your journey; it shouldn't just be about earning more money or landing the ‘perfect’ job.?
7. Learn to stand out in different ways.
8. Certifications aren’t always the only route to success. In fact, more and more companies are hiring based on potential, passion - and experience. Let’s go back to your LinkedIn profile for a minute. Really use it to your advantage! If your profile speaks passionately about you and your roles, that is attractive to potential employers. Are you a thought leader? Do you share original, relevant, or compelling content? Are you connected with like-minded people? Do you follow the thought leaders in your field? These might seem like irrelevant details, but they can quite quickly set you apart.?
9. Dive into informal learning.
10. If you’ve found that your ideal job calls for knowledge that you don’t have - and not necessarily certification, then make a plan to learn! It doesn’t always need to be structured or time-consuming.?

This is the reason we started Aline. To connect people with a world of knowledge that is simplified, relevant, and accessible. The Aline Better App is an intelligent learning system that has been purposely designed to guide you through your informal learning journey in a customized, and easy-to-consume way. As a learner-centric platform, it provides you with a unified platform to access reputable and relevant information - according to what you want to learn.

Sign up for the waitlist?today!

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