How can you continue to learn and grow in your career as you age?

You may think that as you get older, your career opportunities and growth potential diminish. However, this is not necessarily true. You can still learn new skills, take on new challenges, and contribute to your team's success, even if you are in the later stages of your career. In this article, we will share some tips on how to continue to learn and grow in your career as you age, and how to motivate yourself and your team along the way.

1 Assess your strengths and weaknesses

One of the first steps to learning and growing in your career is to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You may have accumulated a lot of experience and expertise in your field, but you may also have some gaps or areas for improvement. For example, you may need to update your technical skills, learn new tools or methods, or enhance your communication or leadership skills. To assess your strengths and weaknesses, you can ask for feedback from your peers, managers, or mentors, or use self-assessment tools or surveys. This will help you to set realistic and relevant goals for your professional development.

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Julie Fox

CS Leader | Top 25 CS Creative Leader Top 100 CS Strategist | CS Speaker, Podcast guest, and Blogger
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As a leader, this is something I do with my team too. In order to work most effectively together I need to understand where they are today and where we are going together. What motivates them? How do they like to receive feedback? What are there perceived strengths and ares they need the most support? Etc. Learning about the team on a deeper level will help me to work better together with them.

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Bob Mathers

Helping Customer Success execs in B2B SaaS hit their revenue targets 🎯 | Grow from $10M to $100M ARR 🚀 | Build their brand as a leader that gets results, every time⚡
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The days of a linear career are over. Most of us will have several, or at least more than one. So one of the objectives you might have in your career is to be searching for your next one. Follow your curiosity. It may just lead you to your best career yet.

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2 Seek new opportunities and challenges

Another way to learn and grow in your career is to seek new opportunities and challenges that will stretch your abilities and expose you to new situations. You can look for projects, tasks, or roles that are outside your comfort zone, but within your reach. For example, you can volunteer to lead a team, take on a cross-functional assignment, or mentor a junior colleague. You can also look for opportunities to collaborate with other teams, departments, or organizations, or to participate in training, workshops, or conferences. These activities will help you to expand your network, gain new perspectives, and acquire new skills and knowledge.

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David D'Souza

Customer Success | Trimble
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As you grow in your current role, take a look at the current processes and systems in your organization. Where are the gaps? What efficiencies could be created? Begin to brainstorm systems or processes that you could put into place that could help your team and/or organization. Creating Playbooks, building templates that help the team scale, or driving a special project. You can learn so much by stepping out of your comfort zone.

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3 Adopt a growth mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve your abilities and performance through effort, feedback, and learning. A growth mindset is essential for learning and growing in your career, as it helps you to overcome challenges, embrace failures, and seek feedback. A growth mindset also helps you to motivate yourself and your team, as it fosters a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and improvement. To adopt a growth mindset, you can practice positive self-talk, celebrate small wins, learn from mistakes, and ask for and offer constructive feedback.

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David D'Souza

Customer Success | Trimble
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Having a Growth Mindset will help you level up in your career and personal life. It's a simple concept and worth taking a deep dive into the context. Mindset by Carol S. Dweck is a fantastic book that provides guidance into this methodology. It will open your eyes and mind to areas of your life that can be improved by being open to new perspectives.

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Julie Fox

CS Leader | Top 25 CS Creative Leader Top 100 CS Strategist | CS Speaker, Podcast guest, and Blogger
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I recently did a podcast on the topic of Growth Mindset. This way of thinking and living has completely changed my life! The concept that we are evolving and growing, we are not stuck or stagnant-we have the ability to change.

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4 Stay curious and updated

To learn and grow in your career, you also need to stay curious and updated about your field, industry, and trends. You can do this by reading books, articles, blogs, or podcasts, watching videos, webinars, or online courses, or joining online communities, forums, or groups. You can also follow thought leaders, influencers, or experts in your domain, or attend events, seminars, or meetups. By staying curious and updated, you will keep your skills and knowledge relevant, discover new ideas and insights, and spark your creativity and innovation.

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5 Share your expertise and experience

Finally, you can learn and grow in your career by sharing your expertise and experience with others. You can do this by teaching, coaching, or mentoring others, writing blogs or articles, creating podcasts or videos, or speaking at events or conferences. By sharing your expertise and experience, you will not only help others to learn and grow, but also reinforce your own learning, enhance your reputation, and build your personal brand.

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Ann Claeson

Senior Learning Programs Specialist, Global L&D
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Mentoring is a great way to not only help others, but to be reminded of how far you’ve come in your life and career. This fosters motivation and optimism as you move through your journey. Sometimes, one little thing you say to a mentee can stick with them, push them into new focus, and give them confidence to take the next step.

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Bob Mathers

Helping Customer Success execs in B2B SaaS hit their revenue targets 🎯 | Grow from $10M to $100M ARR 🚀 | Build their brand as a leader that gets results, every time⚡
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The best part about amassing experience is combining it with the experience of others to find new ideas and ways of doing things that none of you would have come up with on your own. Mentoring and coaching can be incredibly rewarding because if done right, it’s a process of co-discovery in which the mentor learns as much as the mentee.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Team Motivation

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How can you continue to learn and grow in your career as you age?

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2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess your strengths and weaknesses

2 Seek new opportunities and challenges

3 Adopt a growth mindset

4 Stay curious and updated

5 Share your expertise and experience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Team Motivation

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How can you continue to learn and grow in your career as you age?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess your strengths and weaknesses

2 Seek new opportunities and challenges

3 Adopt a growth mindset

4 Stay curious and updated

5 Share your expertise and experience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Team Motivation

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