When getting out of college in 1985, a graduate could not imagine the use of personal computers to the degree that they are utilized today. From the brick phone, video cassette, and floppy disk of past comes the smart phone, iTunes and cloud computing of today. The world of work has changed dramatically. How can you stay ahead?
Here are some ideas to continue your lifelong learning.
- Seek graduate degrees
- Obtain industry certifications
- Read professional journals
- Attend industry conferences
- Follow blogs (like this one)
- Study self-help books
- Ask questions
This international conference brings together many different types of facility managers motivating them to learn and use new technologies in their respective jobs. While attending the various seminars on Facility Management, not only did I gain a great deal of knowledge, I gained a great network of new contacts. I am grateful Sodexo was able to provide me with this opportunity to stay ahead!
No matter what you do to continue your lifelong learning it does not matter, as long as you are doing something to stay ahead of the curve. Set goals, make a networking plan and aim to do your best because the world is literally at your fingertips.
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Jeff Averyt is a Junior at Brigham Young University and majoring in Facilities and Property Management. He interned with Sodexo at Greenwich Academy in the Education division last summer.
3 comments:
Interesting how absolutely none of the suggestions involved actually learning the nature of the operations one seeks to manage.
Very strong comment on the direction of management within some circles in this country.
As a college student, Jeff makes some great recommendations which can led to learning the busines operations.
His participation at IFMA's World Workplace is a perfect example of how attending a conference can teach him about new technologies to run facilities more efficiently. It may even lead him to consider a graduate degree, obtain CEM credentials and subscribe to the Facility Management Journal.
It's a great first step toward management aspirations in our opinion!
Lifelong learning is definitely important to a successful career. Being able to understand the industry is vital and the hospitality is always changing. Learning needs to be everyday both on the job and in the classroom as well.
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