Your Education Isn't Over. Prepare Now For The Tests That Lie In Store

[Forewarning: This is a long post]

Your education isn't over. That you may have finished school, college, or your professional exams is irrelevant.

To earn a higher salary, get a promotion, or run your own business successfully, you will need to educate yourself continually. You must increase your knowledge, gain experience, and continually upgrade your skills.

If you don't do that, you'll be stuck in your current position. Your job will become routine and dull. You'll stagnate.

And you won't get promoted. You won't get offered a better job. You wouldn't deserve to be offered one.

And if you were offered one, you won't know enough to do it well.

As a child, your teachers micro-managed you. You were told what to learn, when to learn it, which books to buy and which lessons to attend You were set specific tasks and given externally imposed deadlines by which to complete them. You were told what work you would have to do at home, after the working day.

You're an adult now. There's no-one there to set you homework, no-one to test you, no-one to check up on your progress. You've got to do all this yourself.

And you've still got a lot to learn.

You'll need to learn Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Logistics, Customer Service, Negotiation, Law, Micro-economics, Research, People Skills, Writing, Design, Creative Thinking, Logic, Project Management, Purchasing, Market Analysis, Time Management, Risk Management, Human Resources, Psychology, Humor, Active Listening, Presentational Skills, Financial Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Business Development and Business Financing.

You will be frequently tested on many of these areas. It won't be a formal sit-down test, with a big neon 'test' sign flashing above your head. It'll be far more subtle.

You must prepare now. Do not let the requirements creep up on you, leaving you to suddenly find yourself with an evening to prepare followed by scary hours of 'winging it' badly the next day.

Many people fail to grasp the opportunities that are presented to them because they have failed to prepare for them.

A promotion comes up, but they haven't got the skills needed for the job.

Or they see or hear of a job they would like, but they can't apply as their lack of knowledge stopped them from volunteering for tasks at work that would have gotten them the necessary experience.

Too often the warning of an impending test comes only after it is too late to prepare. That's why you must prepare in advance, learning more than you 'need' at present. For by the time the 'optional' becomes 'necessary' it will probably be too late. You must actively be planning ahead. Find out what you need to learn - and what experience you must gain - in order to do your job better, so you can get the career you want.

The areas I have listed would cover most of what you would need to shine in any situation you encounter. A working knowledge of those areas will make you invaluable to your employer and to your colleagues. It will ensure that when you set up your own business, it'll have every chance of being successful.

The knowledge will help you understand the needs and concerns of your colleagues and customers. It will help you tailor your work to fit their needs. You'll be able to spot work you could do for them that would be of great benefit, but which they have not requested. Work that could increasing your value to the firm.

The knowledge also acts as your insurance. If you know how others do (or should do) their job, you'll be better able to recognize liars, the incompetent, and those who are 'winging it'. You'll be better able to spot when people are attempting to manipulate you or fob you off with red herrings. You'll be able to spot your boss's mistakes and omissions when they briefing you, and to compensate for them.

Your self-initiated study program should start with the areas most critical to your job; the ones that could improve your performance, reduce your errors, improve your effectiveness and the timeliness of what you do.

Next, it should cover the knowledge needed by people in the organization with which you interact. Your boss, your colleagues and your direct reports. The better you understand their roles, the better you can tailor your work to meet the needs of the 'customers' you serve.

Few jobs offer continual, substantial, on-the-job training. So you'll need to be continually investing in your education, OUTSIDE working hours.

You must put together a plan to gain the knowledge you require. Prioritize your learning, and start learning this week!