Continuing Education. Is it important?

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly learning. I get excited about researching new strategies, technologies, techniques and industries. I try to learn something new every day. Some days I succeed, other days…not so much.

After leaving college, I threw myself into my career. I paid attention to those around me who were successful, I tried out new strategies, I iterated, I became a great sales rep. But then what? I didn’t even realize that I missed learning until my company decided to add a continuing education segment to our monthly routine. All of a sudden I was learning again…and enjoying it.

Fast forward to 2015, now I own a start-up focused on continuing education. Our goal is to build confidence though learning. When I started my career, Kahn Academy and Lynda.com didn’t exist. There wasn’t a place to turn to for self paced, elective, continuing ed. Now there are many options: MOOCs, Lynda.com (recently acquired by Linked In), Khan Academy, General Assembly, College Search Plus…I can go on and on.

What I realized in creating Bite Size Learning though, is that many of these continuing education programs are tactical. Learn how to set up Google Analytics! Learn how to make your site SEO friendly! Learn to be a UX Designer! These types of courses are crucial - they help people gain new skills, pivot careers, and introduce new industries…

But what about the professional who just needs some conceptual information? She is a successful recruiter, he’s a exceptional print marketer, she’s a forward thinking executive. These people don’t necessarily need new tactical skills, but they often need to understand the concepts behind new technology, new strategies, new business.

That’s the void we hope to fill with Bite Size Learning. TechBites are our first series for continuing education in the adult space. We aim to build confidence through knowledge. No code. Just concepts. One 5 minute video at a time.

Whether you’re seeking tactical learning or conceptual understanding, continuing education should have a place in the professional world. If only for the enjoyment of learning something new.

This post was first seen on LinkedIn.com - June 1, 2015.

#continuingeducation #learning #careerdevelopment #trainingdevelopment