With today’s rapid pace of change, you won’t want to walk out the door of your school with a diploma in hand and say goodbye to the books (or tablets) forever. Professional and retail products, skincare treatments and massage therapy protocols, and knowledge about the body and healthcare are constantly improving and evolving so that in the best interests of your clients and your career, you need to keep up to date. Then too, as a business owner or manager, there always are new and better ways to boost operations, marketing, and sales, and management you’ll want to know about.
While there are many things you can learn from journals and industry magazines, industry seminars, and even networking online with others in your field or at professional events, at some point, you may need a more formalized approach to learning. Your state licensing renewal requirements may require that you continue taking classes, and the same goes for keeping professional Board Certification. Continuing education is generally a requirement for re-certification.
To continue your education, you can opt for classroom instruction, or with the plethora of online instruction, you conveniently can learn from the comfort of your work or home office. Whether you want to add a new message modality, such as aromatherapy or Thai massage, there’s a course for you to your professional services menu. If you are working in a highly competitive marketplace, taking courses can help you become more of an expert in a specialty to expand your reputation and set you apart from the competition.
While learning to advance your career or business is important, there are other benefits from continuing your education:
Personal enrichment
You get enjoyment by learning new things or new ways to do things. By taking classes in your chosen field or others, you can find more satisfaction in your work.
Motivation
No matter how much you love your work, there are times when things may feel routine. By learning new techniques and deepening your knowledge of certain modalities and skincare treatments, you stay motivated.
Enhances creativity and thinking
The more you learn, the more knowledge you have to draw on when new situations arise. Also, as pointed out in “The Secret to Creativity, Intelligence and Scientific Thinking: Being Able to Make Connections,” the more you collect ideas and information and make connections between those various ‘dots’ helps to fuel creative thinking and new ideas.
Improves mental health
Research shows that lifelong learning improves self-esteem, optimism, and the ability to cope with stress, reports the UK’s National Health Service. It helps to give purpose and to connect with others.
Whether you study online or prefer a classroom environment, take advantage of the many classes available that will help you achieve your professional goals and personal satisfaction.