You want to learn new skills. What's the best way to do it?

Setting clear learning objectives is crucial for effective skill development eg, Sarah aims to learn coding to transition into a tech role by completing a Python course in three months. SMART goals help you stay motivated and track your progress eg, John plans to improve public speaking by delivering one presentation per month and seeking feedback. Reflecting on how new skills will benefit your career or personal life can provide motivation. Monitoring your progress regularly ensures you are on track to achieve your learning objectives. Choosing suitable learning resources and methods aligned with your objectives eg, Emily enrolls in a hands-on digital marketing workshop to gain practical experience and apply new concepts at work.

If you are considering your career goal, you need to know current trends of certain occupations that's required and know how you are currently standing. For instance, being a backend developer, currently, requires different skills compare to what's required couple of years back.

It’s always a great idea to expand your knowledge base. However, don’t get caught in the trap that you have to have certain certifications or a certain degree. Now, certainly you have to go to medical school and pass if you want to be a doctor. But also be aware that 2/3 of America does not have a bachelors degree. Definitely expand your knowledge, but don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on it. Even doing something simple, like getting linked in learning, and adding some classes can be helpful so that you understand concepts and articulate your knowledge of a subject.

Online courses are more and more prevalent these days, with many even being offered for Free. Seek out free and paid opportunities to enhance your skills and improve in one or more areas. Then, make sure to update your Resume with those skills over time as you go from beginning to intermediate to advanced in those certain skills.

The best way to learn new skills is through a combination of structured education, hands-on practice, online courses, workshops, mentorship, and continuous self-learning.

Investigate various methods such as online courses, workshops, or self-directed learning. Consider factors like your preferred learning style, resources available, and the level of interactivity each option provides.

You can start with a simple Google search like "best books to learn about [skill]" or use something like ChatGPT to build a list of resources for you. If there's a book or article author that you really like, dive deeper into their content to see what other resources they've created/contributed to or if there are other learning options they recommend.

Do research on how you can learn things the best way. For some things you can easily do it for free. For example when you want to learn a new language. (Duolingo & Busuu are your best friends) But if you want to learn more detailed and harder skills, like how to make decisions in your current career, how you can apply the best way, then you can best invest in a career coach (with experience in HR/recruitment) who knows how to help you.

There are tons and tons of great learning resources online. Definitely do your homework and possibly ask your work what trainings or certifications might be the most most valuable based on what you’re looking to do. But definitely don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money on it.

To stick to your schedule with ease, you need to form a habit of learning that new skill. You've probably heard that developing a new habit takes just 21 days. However, that's a myth! Most likely, it originated from a book by a plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, who noticed that, on average, it takes approximately 21 days for a patient to get used to their new face after reconstructive surgery. Maltz's findings were wildly misinterpreted, and as a result, many people blame themselves if they fail to create a new habit after just 21 days. So how long does it really take to form a new habit? According to research published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes, on average, 66 days before a new behavior becomes a habit.

Journaling can be a helpful way to reflect on a skill - if you just learned about conflict management, journal about a previous instance where that skill would have been helpful and analyze what you would have done differently knowing what you do now.

Identify the best courses and prioritize them: - Checking the Experts' LinkedIn - Ask the experts you know and have in your network - Ask Google Motivate yourself: - Make a list of how each skill can improve your career journey. Find your learning format and path: - Do you prefer to read or watch videos? - You can use LinkedIn learning path as the default suggestion. Then reorder or upgrade it according to your goals and needs. - Check also other resources such as YouTube and Coursera Make a flexible plan that you can commit. - Keep it simple - Add some breaks Make the path Practical! - Define some testing projects for yourself. - Use the skills as much as possible in your daily tasks. Ask Questions!

If you're considering learning a new skill, it's best to determine what the value or marketability is of this skill. Some ways to determine this is to review professionals in roles that you are targeting to determine if they hold specific certifications or experience. Additionally, stay active in your field through memberships/groups and watch for trends, alternatively seek out a mentor/career coach to help guide you to determine value. There's so much information available that it can be challenging to cut through the noise in order to invest wisely in you.