#4 Willingness to Learn

Keeping on theme from our previous posts, there are between 10 – 12 traits that make you more employable. Today we are focusing on the Willingness to Learn.

If you read Central England’s Employer Satisfaction Survey you will note the number 1 trait is a willingness to learn. Having a willingness to learn shapes how your career progresses. Sam Leong posted a great article “Essential Career Success Tool” back in 2008, though this post is old, it is still very relevant today.

The constant changes in technology have increased the need to update and up-skill. Due to these continuous changes, businesses have to update how they run to keep up with consumer demand. In turn they need employees that are willing to learn the new skills required to meet the needs made by customers.

We at SMStheJob recognise that when putting candidates forward for any position, if your resume reflects a willingness to learn, you are more likely to be employed then someone who does not have this attribute.

So how do you improve your skills to reflect your willingness to learn?

Skilling Australia for the Future has recognised the need that businesses require to have employees to either update, upgrade or obtain a piece of paper to prove their skills. The government have funded Productivity Places Program and have created training centres across the nation, to cater for this demand. This program is available to everybody, whether you are currently employed, planning a career change or job seeking.

Alternatively, you can always seek out online accreditations through institutes like Seek Learning.

Updating and/or upgrading your skills are not the only thing you can do to show your willingness to learn. Willingness to learn is also an attitude.

As with our blog post #1 a willingness to learn Self Awareness is a great skill to have. To recap Self Awareness is:

(a) identifying and communicating your personal strengths, skills and values; and

(b) knowing and being willing to admit your weakness, with the view to personally develop them.

Every employer enjoys having staff that are willing to learn to use their strengths/skills/values to the benefit of the business. They also like having staff that understand what their weakness are and implementing steps to overcome and develop them.

In our #2 what makes you more employable blog post, we reflected on the skill of Adaptability. If you are not naturally hard-wired to cope with change, then developing this skill may be one of the hardest to learn. As I mentioned before with businesses using more technology to run, operate, and streamline processes, adaptability is a trait that you need to learn.

There is more pressure put on businesses to keep up with the supply and the demand at a faster turnaround. Business owners want to know that their employees are able to adapt, change and implement strategies to keep up with these requests.

A willingness to learn is the most favourable trait by any employer, so remember it is not only about being able to update, upgrade, or gain a piece of paper to prove your skills, it is also an attitude.

Now for some homework...

Whether you are currently employed, looking for a career change or currently seeking a job – contact a Productivity Places Program near you and speak with a consultant to see how they can help you either upgrade, up-skill or put your current skills on a recognised certificate.

If you are a first time reader of this blog, or have not done the tasks set out in #1or #2, then I suggest you visit these posts and do the tasks set in there.

Until next time, make sure you are more employable in 2010 with trait number #? .............

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