Whether you attended college or not, you’ll likely come to find that you still have much to learn about your chosen industry once you actually begin working in it. Due to the amount of online and offline resources available, it has never been easier to gain the upper hand in your career and position yourself as an educated individual. Discover a few proven ways to learn more about your industry below.
Listen to Podcasts
Podcasts are a cost-effective way to gain insight from industry experts in your free time. Rather than buying tickets to a packed conference or purchasing a book, subscribing to a podcast will give you weekly episodes focused on updated market trends and timeless advice. Another huge pro of podcasts is that they can be accessed when the time suits you best. You can gain this wisdom during a car ride, while you get ready for the day, or even while doing the dishes. Podcasts are packed with useful information, and you can even contact certain hosts to request a topic.
Volunteering
Even though you may be very hands-on in your organization, there are always ways to become more involved in your industry through volunteering. Through participating in other organizations, you’ll get firsthand experience in seeing how other businesses or nonprofits are handling industry regulations or working to stand out in the marketplace. This can give you some insight into how to approach certain aspects of your business and might even give new ideas that you can implement into your business practices.
Complete LinkedIn Courses
Intentional learning does not have to end with college. You can take advantage of courses on LinkedIn Learning, an extension of LinkedIn giving you unlimited access to specialized courses meant to grow you in your career. These courses are led by experts, and, rather than taking months to complete, they can be done from start to finish in three hours or less, depending on the material. This educational material can help you stay updated with the latest tactics of your industry and provide you with the necessary information to grow in your career. After completing courses, you’ll be able to add that credential to your resume or LinkedIn profile.
As with any endeavor, if you want to learn more about your industry, you have to be intentional about seeking out such opportunities. While it is not required that you continue pursuing educational opportunities post-college, doing so will position you for better opportunities.