In our last bulletin, I wrote about information
literacy -- a must-have in today's business environment and in all aspects of professional life. In this column, I would like
to address what you can do this summer to "retool" and refresh your outlook through summer reading and academic study.
SUMMER
READING
When it comes to summer reading, there is no
end of sources for lists if your criterion is pure fun. Should you take a total break from specific technical or industry
reading and switch gears to light fare? Or, would summer be a relaxed
time to balance light fare with some reading which
will further your personal goals?
I would like to propose that you reserve a bit of your summer time to delve deeply
into very specific areas for a deep understanding that will help you in the upcoming semester and your career. Here are some
criteria for making your personal reading selection.
- First, approach your summer reading list in a relaxed manner.
Remember, this is summer after all!
- Second, don't try to measure your success - or failure - by the pound
or kilo.
- Third, the rules that dictate our workplace mindset -- bigger, better, faster,
cheaper - don't apply here. Go for maximum effectiveness not maximum productivity.
Now you are ready to ask the question
that will drive your specific summer readings. And, that question can be asked two ways:
- What has intrigued me over
the past year but that I
have not had the time to pursue? Or
- What would I like to learn more about, but am afraid
is too complex for me to understand?
Whichever way you ask the question, both bring you to topics that probably fall
outside of your career-related comfort zone. Use your newly refined information literacy skills -- search the web, library,
and other information sources -- to find the titles that will best take you beyond
your current interests. It may come as a surprise that after you embark on this journey, you will have taken a step towards
expanding - and retooling - your career horizons.
SUMMER STUDY
For those who might want to retool
their skills in a more peer learning environment, the summer offers a wonderful opportunity to revisit the classroom in the
risk free environment of a continuing education program. As an adult learner, you'll find content that meets your needs in
a context that ties back directly to your specific goals. These needs are not necessarily satisfied in a textbook or the highly
structured learning environment of a traditional college or a university.
Continuing education is also a very affordable
way to step outside your career. (Back to stepping out of that career-related, comfort zone, again!) A continuing education
course might be just the thing to appeal to your need for
personal achievement to enhance your path, or to visit (or revisit)
some basic skills that can transcend your career direction today, For example, certificates or courses (such as those in thiscatalog)
in bookkeeping, payroll, finance, accounting, marketing, or management course might connect with you, opening the doors to
a career change.
If
you want to visit (or revisit) basic skills, you could take a computer course, a public speaking course, a business writing
course, a language course. Those wishing to enhance their chances for promotion might take a more advanced business course,
business English or language courses. Or, how about a project management course -- a basic, cross-functional skill that employers
are finding in short supply in today's workplace.
CONCLUSION
Summer
is upon us. While it is a time to relax and have fun, it can also be a time to retool your portfolio of skills. Defining areas
that you might not have considered before, ones which help you step "out of the box", could well spur you on your journey
to personal - and career -- fulfillment.
Peter McAliney
Acting Academic
Director
