Keeping Up-to-Date on a Minimal Budget

by Sherry Knight

Isn't the world of learning a wonderful place today? Without leaving your home you can continue to upgrade your skills - even in your pyjamas if you prefer!

That's right; one of the easiest ways to stay current and to increase your knowledge is to get onto the internet. With simple word searches you can find out about almost anything you want. You may find more than you want to know and you may have to sift through a lot of information to determine what is valuable to you, but we all know you have to take a little bit of the bad with the good.  

By adding specifics to your general searches you increase your chances of accessing some great results. With the Internet today, there is virtually information on everything you may want to know and it's available at your finger tips.  

When it comes to learning, you can:

• take a certification program on-line
• access books and other resources without going to the book store
• participate in webinars, blogs, chats, discussion boards 

Certification programs and many books have a price tag attached to them. However, going on-line is generally significantly cheaper than flying somewhere, paying for the hotel room and then taking all that time away from family and work. With books and other resources, you have several choices: read the book on-line through numerous companies, read a review and then go to your local bookstore, or purchase it on-line.  

Many people today are offering teleseminars and webinars. While not free, these are often very inexpensive ways to continue to keep your credentials up-to-date. The tricky part is sometimes finding them – they are often attached to industry related corporate web sites. You can access a professional development opportunity right from the comfort of your own living room.

There are many other ways to access potential learning opportunities. Have you considered conducting your own survey or information interview? It is a great way to increase your knowledge about what's happening in your industry and it just might keep you in close contact with clients or potential clients as well as colleagues and employers. There is no monetary cost to you only your time and energy. Also, sharing your results with those who participated in another great way to stay connected. After all, isn't that what business is all about – relationships. What better way to develop a relationship than to offer someone something for nothing and help them increase their knowledge at the same time. This is a win/win for all concerned.  

One of my favourite ways to increase my knowledge is to write or speak. There is a lot that has to be done before I can actually get to the task of writing. I have to sit down and analyze my thoughts to figure out what I would like to say and what message I want to convey. Then, I have to do a lot of research and gather the information. If you are considering writing, ask yourself these questions: What do I want to share? Is there someone or some group out there that might be interested in learning more about this topic? Sharing your knowledge with others is a great opportunity to help others learn about something new.  

Mastermind groups are another great way to increase your knowledge and share information with other people. A group of people with a common interest or goal meet on a regular basis to share information and discuss ideas. If there are no Mastermind groups around you may consider starting your own by getting a few people together who have a similar interest in a specific topic and toss the topic around. By meeting monthly or even weekly you can increase your knowledge a hundred fold. There is no cost except maybe a pizza for dinner.  

Finally, remember that your community association and industry specific organizations as well as your church and your local TV channel can assist you in increasing your knowledge. Even the magazines in your doctor's office or dentist's office can have valuable articles in them. At times I have even asked if they would photo copy an article that I found particularly valuable. Most of them have and a few even suggested taking the magazine to photocopy the article myself and then return the magazine.

Start by taking a look around to see what's available that will help you increase your skills. Where there's a will, there's a way! You've heard that one before. The first task is to start looking. I bet you can find your first learning opportunity in less time than it took you to read this article. Enjoy!    

Sherry Knight, President of Dimension 11 Ltd., is a convention speaker, author and corporate trainer who helps individuals achieve their full potential. To bring Sherry's learning experiences to your organization, call 1-800-303-2315, email sherry@dimension11.com or visit her web site at www.dimension11.com.

This article may be reproduced in print or electronic format as long as it is not altered and the author credit is included.

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