Have you taken a class lately, or plan to soon? According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 73% of U.S. adults consider themselves lifelong learners, pursuing knowledge and skills for both personal and career advancement. The study reveals that Americans prefer learning in-person over online methods, and that their strongest motivations to learn include both getting ahead and personal fulfillment.
Lifelong learning for professional development might include attending conferences, reading professional publications, or studying for a certification. In the personal realm, lifelong learning could consist of reading a how-to blog, taking a community education drawing class, or joining a group to practice a hobby.
For instruction-based learning, Pew learned that, while online learning opportunities serve many needs, most adults prefer to learn in person. A large majority of both personal and professional learners preferred “place-based learning” at a location such as a school, library, community center, conference or other venue over online learning.
Reasons for engaging in learning activities varied. Workers who sought learning for professional development named these motivations:
- 55% wanted to develop or maintain job skills
- 36% were working toward job-related licensure or certification
- 24% intended to seek a raise or promotion
- 13% took training to get a new job at a different organization
- 7% hoped to stave off a layoff by updating their training
One of the greatest rewards of formal learning identified by survey participants was to expand their professional network, cited by 65% of learners. About half noted that training helped them advance in their organization, about a third landed a new job with the help of training, and another third found a new career direction thanks to professional learning activities.
Those engaged in learning to advance personal interests had different purposes in mind:
- 80% sought personal fulfillment
- 64% intended to gain skills that would allow them to help others
- 60% had extra time to pursue an interest
- 36% wanted to turn a hobby into a paying occupation
- 33% were developing skills to assist the children in their lives with schoolwork
Personal learners found a range of social and psychological benefits from learning activities: nearly 90% stated that they felt more capable and well-rounded, about 70% gained new perspectives, nearly 2/3 made new friends and connected to community, and others started volunteering as a result of personal learning activities.
Search for education and training opportunities in your area on CareerOneStop’s Local Training Finder, and get more help with training decisions.
Getting ready to graduate and hit the job market? There’s a lot to think about: crafting a 
Conversations about work-life balance, sustainability, and flexible schedules dominate human resource offices and boardrooms, as the competition for talent and worker retention rises. Since many workplace surveys indicate that workers value their time even more than wage increases, workplace flexibility is a key consideration on both sides of the hiring desk.
An alternative with much appeal is a nontraditional career path with more than one career component and more than one source of income. This aligns work with personal preferences, values, interests and skills. Its multiple income streams, built on personal strengths, can lower risk and raise reward compared with conventional employment. It benefits from today’s readily accessible computing and communication tools. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act eliminated barriers to obtaining healthcare insurance for many people. Not surprisingly, studies show satisfaction levels much higher for those in a nontraditional career path compared with conventional employment.
The ATS software screens by keywords, job titles and skills. It’s all about checking off boxes. With the resume robots, there is no nuance and they can’t sense your winning personality. Since most young professionals have limited job experience and skills, there often is not a good keyword match so their resumes end up in the black hole, the corporate repository for discarded resumes.
Since assessment results may relate to as many as 900 different occupations, don’t panic if your results include careers that don’t interest you. Experts recommended that you take more than one assessment to broaden your ideas before you make a decision. It can also be helpful to talk with a career counselor, family and friends before making a career decision.
Is there anything more frustrating than sending out your thoughtfully-crafted resume to apply for one job after another – and never hearing back? Take steps to rescue your resume from the screening trap and get it into the hands of a hiring authority.
