Congratulations! You’ve graduated! Toss off that tasseled hat and celebrate. Now it’s time to start working—and you never have to listen to another college lecture again. Take that, academic establishment! Oh, wait, pick up your tasseled hat, because school’s still in session. A 2013 employer survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that 93% of employers hire for skills over a degree. That’s a bit of a shame, seeing how graduating millennials are facing a growing skills gap as the current model for higher education is proving woefully inadequate. What this means for you is it’s not enough to just pick up your degree and hit the ground running. You have to perform preventative maintenance on your education and continue it voluntarily on an ongoing basis. The good news, however, is this: Learning after college is more fun, less expensive, and carries a host of benefits for your personal and professional advancement. Whether jockeying for a promotion or just seeking to grow as an individual, there are plenty of advantages to pursuing continuing education. Here’s why you should always be learning.
Why You Should Always Be Learning
Why: Keep Up to Date on New Procedures and Technologies
In many industries, such as medicine and law, keeping up-to-date on developments in the field is crucial to ongoing success. It’s likely some higher-ranking representatives of your company already attends events like this on a rolling basis. So why shouldn’t you? From job fairs to conventions, to local workshops, a bevy of learning opportunities tailored toward current professionals is available in just about any field. Investigate event sites to find programs near you or look for specific trade associations in your industry.
Why: Keep Skills Sharp and Learn New Ones
Honing your current skills lets you take on greater responsibility, and learning new skills ensures you can be useful to an employer in a variety of roles. Mentorship is a topic often discussed in fluffy think-pieces targeted at recent graduates but rarely is it quantified in any concrete way. Let’s be clear. Mentorship is not some mythical life-coaching program between you and a high-powered CEO who “likes your moxie, sport.” A real-world mentor is simply someone who does what you do, but who does it better, has been doing it for longer, and doesn’t mind answering the occasional question. The best part? You’ve probably already got one, in the form of a professor or faculty advisor. All you have to do is send a nice email and turn that acquaintance into a lasting relationship.
Why: Keeps Resume Current
A degree was once the gold standard for entry-level hires. Now it’s more like the cover charge you have to pay just to get in the door, and getting in the door doesn’t even guarantee you can stay. As a growing number of unemployed people will attest, becoming employed once does not equate to remaining employable. It’s up to you to make sure your resume stays current and relevant. You should never have to “dust off” your resume. It should be a living thing that is constantly growing and changing. So should you. Formal, curriculum-based continuing education programs are the most concrete and verifiable means of advanced professional education. It’s no wonder why many employers, particularly in the healthcare field, require or incentivize such programs using a “credit” system like the one you used in college. Whether your field is healthcare, law, or something else, if you’re looking for continuing education that is grounded and practical, a formal program may be just what you’re looking for.
Why: Networking Opportunities
“Networking” is another term that gets thrown around a lot in puffy think-pieces but often lacks any real substance. Here’s what networking is not: putting on a suit, sleazing into a smoke-filled room, and handing out freshly-printed business cards. Here’s what networking is: actively seeking to make new personal and professional relationships, then finding ways to turn either kind into the other. The best way to meet new people in your field is by attending local events and lectures. If you live anywhere near a city, chances are you can throw a rock and hit twenty of these—but if you’re not sure where to start, Facebook and MeetUp groups are an excellent place to look.
Why: It’s Good for You
Countless studies have drawn links between learning and cognitive health. In the words of Brandeis psychologist Margie E. Lachman, “Education seems to be an elixir that can bring us a healthy body and mind throughout adulthood and even a longer life.” From YouTube to iTunes to Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs), the Internet is an ocean of free learning resources. In 2015, learning a new skill is as easy as typing the words “how to…” into Google. When learning is that easy, your best reason to keep doing so may simply be this: You have no excuse not to.
By Sarah Landrum: Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer and the founder of Punched Clocks, a site all about finding career happiness and success. For more from Sarah, subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Twitter @SarahLandrum
I couldn’t agree more with this post! I graduated from college six years ago, and I am constantly looking for ways to impore and learn new skills. Online classes and community colleges are great ways to learn something, add a new skill to your resume, and possibly make some connections…all while not breaking the bank and consuming a lot of time!
http://www.livinginsteil.com
I’m actually really excited to continue learning after college! I can focus on my passion instead of what my professors think I should learn (not that there isn’t much I don’t like to learn!)
Such an inspiring post!
xoxo
Such a great post! I graduated from college in May 2014 and have been working since September, but I am starting to think about taking a few courses on the side. Do you know of any opportunities or great places in NYC to take classes? 🙂
As one of my wise teachers said, never stop learning. Love all the pointers you brought up in this post!
Mikayla | A Seersucker State of Mind.
Love this post and the reasons you gave! And I love the fact that learning doesn’t have to be through school — it can be through articles, other people, etc.!
Love this! Such great tips!
http://www.kayleighskloset.com
Great post — it is definitely essential to continue learning after college.
I am a firm believer in the whole “if you don’t use it, you lose it” thing.
xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys
Love this- I feel like I have learned far more in my first year in the real world than I ever did from a textbook!
The portion on networking is extremely helpful and down-to-earth. It seems like such a broad, hard to grasp term when you’re a new graduate or young person looking for a new/better job, and definitely has the business card/suit connotation, but this post really broke it down. Super relatable and informative stuff!
These are all such valid points! I’ve always learned more in real life than in school.. oops!
Love the office in that first pic:)
Lauren
The Fashionista’s Diary
Great post! I’m a firm believer in continuing to learn, regardless of what you’re choosing to learn! I hope that I never stop. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with ALL of this!!! It’s on my bucket list to take classes at the community college! PS is that your office?? It’s gorgeous!
Nicole // Chronicling Home
Such a useful post and I agree that networking is important part of learning after college. I’ve had so many opportunities when I took a chance and began talking to the important people around me.
-Ruya
http://www.sweetshortandstylish.com
This post is so great! These tips are so true for any level of work!
I totally agree, I love learning as a post-grad! Skillshare has been one of my favorite sites to pick up new skills, and I love going to social media and blogging conferences! There’s always room to better yourself 🙂
xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise
This is so important! I always say I don’t use my brain the same way that I did in college, which is so true (I mean, bye mental math), but there’s so much more to learn after college. The world is always involving in random ways. Plus I agree that it gives you awesome things to put on your resume.
This was such a good read as a semi-recent college grad (I’ve been out of school for 4 years). I definitely agree with all of them!
xo Ashley
Yes yes yes! There are so many subjects that I want to learn more about after college… and then of course the basic adult things like how to do my own taxes, haha!
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m currently in between going back for my Master’s or not!
xo // http://www.thematerialgirl.co
I’m so bad at keeping my resume current & this is the second article I’ve read so far this week that’s reminded me to update it frequently…so, I think that’s a sign – BRB, going to update it now! x Nicole | http://www.changeanddress.com
I have continued learning after college and love my passion about blogging!!
so true! super relatable post
Couldn’t agree more – there’s always room to improve!
Pick Your Beau
I totally agree with these reasons and I don’t think I’d ever want to stop learning! As an SLP, I’m pretty sure that I’ll have to take some sort of class or attend a lecture every year in order to keep my certification.
Kayla | kaylablogs.com
Keeping that resume current is essential! If you wait until you need it I find that I forget skills and awards and such to add and the whole process becomes rushed. Great ideas!
-Morgan
How 2 Wear It [] http://how2wearit.com
I love learning! I am always reading news articles and things alike to make sure I’m keeping up with the world and learning all that I can!
This is an awesome post, very informative and true! Even as a business owner, I find that taking online courses that are relevant to my industry, allow me to gain the understand and ability to offer more services and to remain relevant.
I love learning 🙂 I’ve been focusing on free things–Code Academy, Duolingo, MOOCs–but also trying to pick things that are helpful or that I lacked in my formal education. It’s hard to imagine being done with school, and this helps me stay in denial xD
Julia | Pennies & Paper
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