Employers are always looking for candidates who take the initiative to develop themselves and their skillset. Demonstrating that you’re a self-learner is certainly one way of showing that proactivity.
Self-learning doesn’t just showcase your resourceful nature, however, it also just works much better for a lot of people than traditional educational routes. The ability to study at your own pace and in your own time makes it ideal for those people with working and family lives around which their study must fit.
With all that in mind, we’ve put together a comprehensive list as to why self-learning could offer exactly what you’ve been looking for, not only in terms of your education but for potential future careers, too.
1. A cost-effective education
Short courses and microcredentials will almost always be more cost-effective than an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. This makes this kind of learning more accessible to a larger number of people.
Education, after all, is a basic (and protected) human right and there’s no reason why that right should stop once you’ve left school or university. Self-learning with a short course enables you to further your education without a hefty price tag and time commitment.
2. There are a huge number of resources out there
Another good reason to self-learn is that it’s easier than ever to do. The number of high-quality self-teaching courses out there online these days is truly staggering. From free taster courses, short courses, to microcredentials, you can learn on your own terms in a variety of different ways.
Gone are the days when you had to have access to either a huge amount of money or a world-class library (or both) in order to receive a good education. Whether you enrol in an online course or just access the free educational resources that many leading universities and institutions now offer, you can now get a fairly comprehensive training/education without too much fuss.
3. You can learn at a rate that suits you
Different people learn at different rates; for some, they can digest an entire textbook in just a matter of one or two sittings, whilst for others, they have to pore over the same few pages over and over before it sinks in.
For the latter, traditional educational avenues can often feel too pressurised, leaving the learner behind before they’ve had the chance to familiarise themselves with the content being taught.
Not only does this lead to more efficient learning, but it also makes the whole process more enjoyable at the same time.
4. You can develop initiative
When learning by yourself, there’s nobody else there to motivate you except you. That means you have to be a motivated, efficient and proactive learner in order to get the most out of your self-learning opportunity.
For some people, those kinds of attributes come naturally. For others, however, those very same traits are altogether more alien. But what better way to develop them than through study? Those skills – motivation, efficiency and proactivity – are all highly valued by employers, whatever the industry.
This means that what self-learning is, in essence, giving you, is a ‘dry run’ in which to develop those skills, rather than have to learn them on the job. You’re also more likely to get that job or career change you want in the first place if you can demonstrate these skills.
5. You’re learning because you want to
We all remember those days spent in class on a subject we didn’t like. Fast-forward to adulthood and self-learning provides you with the opportunity to learn because you want to, not because you have to.
We’re most engaged with our learning when it stems from a place of curiosity; when we’re genuinely interested in what it is we’re learning about. When you’ve got to the point when you want to self-learn that drive has come to you organically, and not from somewhere forced.
If you’re interested in obtaining forward-thinking education on your own terms, at your own pace, and for the purposes that suit you best, find your next short course here.
