Remember the old days pre-Internet when doing research on something meant going to the library to get a book or collecting brochures to compare product or service features?
Booking a trip used to mean going to the local travel agency to grab some color brochures to look through.
Researching a company before an interview meant calling the company asking for an annual report or going to your library to view it so you could memorize a few numbers like their sales figures and profitability to make it look like you’d done your homework.
These days, the Internet has reinvigorated the old Yellow pages motto of “Let your fingers do the walking.”
You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home – or wherever you get your Internet connection – to do research on many different subjects.
One such subject is that of learning. Chances are that a quick Google search will tell you where you can find online, classroom and self-taught training for pretty much anything you might want to get trained on.
The training you receive can pay dividends in your career and perhaps immediately.
Earlier in my career, I asked my boss at the time to attend an assertiveness training course where I could learn some assertiveness techniques when dealing with other people. It wasn’t that I needed to learn how to say “No!” but rather that I wanted to learn some good things I could use to become more assertive when required.
I’ve taken numerous computer training courses and have also attended various sales and marketing seminars and conferences, too.
Some were better than others but they typically gave me the opportunity to take something away that I could use in a positive way.
If you work for a company who will pay for training, I’d do some thinking about areas you’d like to improve upon, do some research to learn about relevant training options, and approach your manager with a case as to why you’d like to take it and how it will help you do your job.
Of course, it’s going to benefit you personally too but your manager probably wants to know what’s in it for the company if they’re going to be paying for it.
The good news is that whatever you learn is something you can take with you and use in the future regardless of where you work.
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