Continuing Education is Important — Even for Millennials
You finally did it huh? Graduated from college. You may even have a nice adult job lined up (or not). Maybe you’ve decided to go to grad school. Or maybe you’ve decided to take a year off and travel the world. No matter what you decide to do after your educational achievement, it’s imperative that you never stop learning. Continuing your education is the key to success in the real world.
I’ll use myself as an example. I graduated from college with a degree in marketing and a concentration in advertising. My first job out of college was social media manager. The only thing I knew how to do was research, write, and choose a photo. I could come up with concepts, but I could not bring them to life.
I wanted to streamline the process and not have to go through several other people for creative. I turned to my friends and the almighty YouTube for more information and began to learn new skills. I started working with video editing, photography, and graphic design. Learning these skills helped land me my next job, social media ads manager.
This next job was focused on implementing specific advertising techniques. It required basic graphic design skills, writing skills, and eventually a little bit of video editing. By continuing my own personal education, and documenting evidence of it, I was able to make myself more appealing to potential employers.
On top of this, I also earned Google Adwords, Google Analytics, and several Facebook Advertising certifications. These things showed my employers that I took my job rather seriously, and that I am invested in the industry. Continuing your education does not have to be going for a master’s degree or taking online classes. Earning and maintaining relevant certifications can prove to be just as effective.
By actively continuing your education, whether in skills or certifications, not only are you setting yourself up for success by learning more, but you are enhancing your resume and skill level. You are showing potential employers that you are willing to learn and are teachable. Many employers are looking for eager hires with a little bit of skill and a lot of learning potential.
Millennials, we have a reputation with some older generations for not taking initiative and being lazy. I’m not saying we should remain in school forever, (your bank account will thank you). I think constantly trying to learn something new and applying it to our lives and careers will show older generations that we do take initiative. It proves that we are eager to learn the business. And it’s important for professional success.
Originally published at https://www.thepromillennial.com on December 12, 2018.