Warning: The Mentality That Will Harm Your Career Development
- Date: 2007-01-06 - Word Count: 486
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Now, I don't think that career development is necessarily a matter of enrolling in formal education. However, the reality is that you do need to make some kind of investment in your education and personal development if you're going to advance your career.
However, even more important than investing in your formal education... is investing time, effort and probably some money in your informal education. That means buying books, subscribing to newsletters and journals, joining mastermind groups, attending seminars... and even just chatting with experts. The point is - for genuine career development, you need to always be learning.
Which brings me to the harmful attitude that will almost certainly stall, if not halt, your career development: the attitude of "knowing it all already". I mean, is it any wonder that the people who say they "know it all already" are generally NOT the people who are actually DOING what they claim to know? Meanwhile, the true masters freely admit to not knowing it all and always learning?
So what's it going to be? Will you decide that you "already know all that", close off your mind to new knowledge and skills, and wonder why your career development has stalled? Or will you continue to embrace further opportunities to learn and evolve... and continue to progress? I know, it's kind of obvious: your best bet is to invest in your ongoing learning. And, really, ongoing learning is not just important for your career, but it's also important for your life: it's the only way to evolve as a person.
Let's take an example. Say you're a hairdresser who has been cutting and styling hair for 10 years. Does cutting hair every day for that period of time mean that you know it all and have nothing left to learn? Well, sure - you know how to cut hair. But if ever evolving fashion trends - i.e. new hairstyles and variations of old hairstyles - are any indication, then there is always something new to learn. New techniques, new hair styles, new hair products and even new hair styling tools, to name a few of these "new" things.
Therefore, any hairdresser who took their career development seriously would constantly be reading the latest hairdressing magazines, attending hairdressing conferences and shows, and attempting new techniques, styles, products and tools.
And that's why my hairdresser continues to learn and build her skills. Doing so has not only made hairdressing a challenging and vibrant career for her, but it has also enabled her to reach a point where she can charge more than double what the average hairdresser can charge. All because she continues to develop herself. Meanwhile, the average suburban hairdresser thinks they know all there is to know about cutting and styling hair, and wonders why they don't get paid more and work better hours...
So avoid the "know it all" mentality. Instead, welcome new skills, knowledge and ideas - that's how you will continue to develop in your career.
However, even more important than investing in your formal education... is investing time, effort and probably some money in your informal education. That means buying books, subscribing to newsletters and journals, joining mastermind groups, attending seminars... and even just chatting with experts. The point is - for genuine career development, you need to always be learning.
Which brings me to the harmful attitude that will almost certainly stall, if not halt, your career development: the attitude of "knowing it all already". I mean, is it any wonder that the people who say they "know it all already" are generally NOT the people who are actually DOING what they claim to know? Meanwhile, the true masters freely admit to not knowing it all and always learning?
So what's it going to be? Will you decide that you "already know all that", close off your mind to new knowledge and skills, and wonder why your career development has stalled? Or will you continue to embrace further opportunities to learn and evolve... and continue to progress? I know, it's kind of obvious: your best bet is to invest in your ongoing learning. And, really, ongoing learning is not just important for your career, but it's also important for your life: it's the only way to evolve as a person.
Let's take an example. Say you're a hairdresser who has been cutting and styling hair for 10 years. Does cutting hair every day for that period of time mean that you know it all and have nothing left to learn? Well, sure - you know how to cut hair. But if ever evolving fashion trends - i.e. new hairstyles and variations of old hairstyles - are any indication, then there is always something new to learn. New techniques, new hair styles, new hair products and even new hair styling tools, to name a few of these "new" things.
Therefore, any hairdresser who took their career development seriously would constantly be reading the latest hairdressing magazines, attending hairdressing conferences and shows, and attempting new techniques, styles, products and tools.
And that's why my hairdresser continues to learn and build her skills. Doing so has not only made hairdressing a challenging and vibrant career for her, but it has also enabled her to reach a point where she can charge more than double what the average hairdresser can charge. All because she continues to develop herself. Meanwhile, the average suburban hairdresser thinks they know all there is to know about cutting and styling hair, and wonders why they don't get paid more and work better hours...
So avoid the "know it all" mentality. Instead, welcome new skills, knowledge and ideas - that's how you will continue to develop in your career.
Related Tags: career development
Anna Johnson runs Insider Job Secrets, which provides an innovative career guide, resume writing services and career counseling. Discover Anna's ebook, Insider Job Secrets Revealed - how Insiders get 50% of all new jobs and how you can become an Insider and get the job you want too. Claim your free chapter of the ebook after watching Anna's funny and inspiring movie, Career Choices: http://www.insiderjobsecrets.com/career-choices.htm Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
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