How Do You Fill The Gaps In Your Working Knowledge?

Despite what your resume says, no matter how impressive it is, you are still only human. This is not supposed to denigrate you, of course, being human is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s all you or I know. This means from time to time we will have our successes, and we will have our failures.

Of course, while reflecting on success can be informative, it’s never as useful as focusing on what went wrong as part of this full inquiry. As such, it can be worthwhile to consider the gaps in your knowledge regarding a topic, especially if it comes to something you have forgotten. We may have qualifications on our resume that hold skills we have yet to use since that time ten years ago, and this can be a problem if an immediate necessity for said skills comes into play, especially if you have been recruited for them.

How do you fill the gaps in your working knowledge well? Is it possible to do without a shameful pause? We’d say ‘absolutely,’ and here’s why:

Read Around The Subject

There’s no shame in hitting the textbooks to understand your own subject. Read around your subject, too. One reference can open a link to another thing you missed, and this can continue until you once again partake in a refresher course of your own making. Additionally, consult old study materials you may have kept, or partake in some exercises you used to.

“Investing in your personal image and practicing your interview techniques can have a telling impact too. Coaches can help you prepare for those challenges, which can make you more employable. While out of work, it may be worth taking on some voluntary work. Not only does it look great on your resume, but it also keeps you motivated and in good spirits.” – Skills That Can Boost Your Career Prospects

You would be surprised just how much this can fill in the void. Imagine your set of knowledge as not a vessel to be filled and to be carried, but a fire to be kindled. It’s okay if some of the raging infernos have turned to embers as the decades pass. As long as you stoke those fires through this practice a little, you’ll be able to return to your peak performance.

Take Extra Training

Again, there’s no shame in taking a refresher course or even taking a new qualification to see what the current thinking is. For example, it might be that technology is changing in your field once again, to the point where best practice means understanding the software you need to use.

Consider how film editors work. Every ten years there will be a new industry-standard software package they have to use, and while they can translate some of the logic to their new platform, starting from scratch can ensure you keep none of the bad habits you have built. This is important.

Volunteer For Placements

Volunteer for placements. From time to time, there may be an extra-curricular activity at your place of employment, or a training schedule you may wish to partake in. Not only can this help you look engaged and give you a shot at an upcoming promotion for your presence, but it may actually come in very useful one day.

Do not turn your nose up at anything. Sure you may be forty-five years old while managing a large department, but are you really ‘too good’ to take that first-aid course? Who knows if you may or may not save a life one day. It’s this receptivity and willingness to learn that can help you stay learning no matter how ‘experienced you have become’.

Research Online

Failing to make use of online platforms now is tantamount to never picking up a book. There’s almost no way to ignore it and still be at the top of your game or competent. From resources such as Kahn Academy that allow you to take certain courses for free, sites that help you learn programming languages, dedicated forums discussing your chosen specialism, or excellent DIY options you can find at The Tool Report, the possibilities are limitless when it comes to auto-didacts who just wish to refine their competence a little.

This isn’t even to mention the vast amount of online degrees you can focus on online, some of them potentially helping you become the hireable juggernaut you may have wished to become all along. 

To Summarize

This is a fast-paced world and becoming more so all the time. Skills that were conventionally useful are becoming less so. For example, interpersonal charm is becoming less of a valued skill in a world where brevity in digital communication is seen as a virtue. What matters is applying your best value through that. If you can, and use these methods, you’ll fill those gaps in your knowledge well.