In a previous post, I cited the 10 dead and dying computer skills in today’s competitive workplace. While some of the takes may be off in some cases, it still is a resonating fact that a worker must continually hone skills and stay abreast with all the developments in one’s field. Bottom line is stagnancy kills careers.

It’s a reality that every career is affected by new information and new technology. A look in history shows us that manpower was easily replaced by machinery and eventually, it’s the know-how that replaced pure-brawn. In today’s workplace, things wouldn’t be too different. It’s the one with the most skills and the best skills that would have the lasting power.

However, many still think that a college diploma is enough for a life-long career. While I think it’s stupid, many companies still demand graduate studies as a sole requirement for raises and promotions. But while I think that skill and performance should be factored in, I just can’t deny the advantages of having some fresh and refined ideas that one can get from an academic environment.

Here are some ways of continuing to develop your skills:

Read

Many new ideas you can get from news. And there are a lot of self-improvement books that can help you gain new information or just expand your perspective. Get hold of books, newspapers, magazines and newsletters relevant to your field. You’d find that even just by reading casually, you gain a lot of new ideas and information.

Attend seminars

Once in a while, there will be seminars and short-courses focusing on overall productivity. Consider these as crash-courses where you can sharpen your skills in a jiffy. Attending these seminars will benefit you even if you just gain one new idea from them. For some fields and professionals, seminars are required in regular intervals in order for them to refresh their memory on some areas and learn new things on some.

Avail of memberships

There are certain leagues and associations of professionals in your field. Most of these groups charge membership fees but a membership just might prove to be one of the best investments you’ll make. They usually hold occasional conventions and seminars free to their members. They also often have newsletters to keep members abreast with updates on what’s new in the field and the organization. It’s also an instant colleague network that you can exploit for advancing your career.

Sign-up for classes

If you have the luxury of time, you just might want to go back to school and earn a graduate degree or another degree. For some companies, it’s even an incentive they give to their valued employees as part of their career development plans. You may want to inquire about such programs and your company and get to study for free. For more details on this one, you might want to read this post on going back to school.