As skilled and professional OFWs, our passport to the outside world is our knowledge and skills. They were the ones that get us hired internationally. They showcased our talents, abilities and expertise that are at par with the world. But it should not stop there.
Just like our handheld gadgets which upgrades its system faster than many of us could follow, we also must constantly upgrade and add to what we know. Our workplaces put on new systems, methodology and technology in the quest for more efficient practices and better services. To cope with such changes, we must also strive to get ourselves informed, equipped, and trained. Not only would it make us more valuable to the company, but it keeps our learning continuous. It keeps our brain continually active. It also fights dementia and improves our memories.
One of the things that the pandemic has given us is extra time. The work from home arrangement saves us time for the preps we must do before going to work as well as the time spent on the road going to and from work. With Covid variants being discovered here and there, it is very likely that such work arrangement is also likely to stay. OFWs whose weekends are devoted for gatherings and bonding with friends should now rethink and come up with other things to do that will not expose them to the dangers of Covid.
Why not devote a fraction of that time to improving ourselves instead such as enrolling in online classes?
My online course
One of those platforms that offer valuable and relevant (depending on your interest and profession) courses is www.udemy.com. Udemy offers a wide selection of courses from what we think as simple as use of punctuation to a more complicated and technical computer programming courses. These courses are taught by the experts in their fields worldwide. For as low as US$13, you can take the course in your own time and at your own pace.
I bought my first course, Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery back in 2018 at $9.99 (about SR37). It cost less than my one trip to Kudu.
Some people have that laser beam focus that they take their course consistently for days until it is finished. I am not one of those. I easily got overwhelmed with information overload. I took mine one video or lesson at a time and ruminate about it. I go slow, sometimes fast, depending on my absorption and time available, most of the time on the comfort of my bed. I like it that there was no deadline for me to finish the course. I was promised a lifetime access. (We’ll see about that). Three years since, I can still access the course. You can also subscribe which give you access to all the courses for as long as you are paying the subscription. But if you bought just the course, you only have access to the course you bought.
Did I learn something? Definitely. Is it worth the price? Yes. I am now on my third course. I think we try to get more because we pay for it as against those training courses where the company paid for our attendance. As I go over the course again, I am surprises that I still find something new in it which I might have missed the last time.
Importance of being a learned individual.
Learning improves our earning abilities. With so many people lost their jobs during the pandemic, the competition to get hired or to be retained in our current jobs becomes even more stiffer. If your boss already has a sense of your being inadequate or less knowledgeable compared to your colleagues, you’ll be the first to be let go. Or for some inevitable reason you were let go, the chance of getting a job again is improved if your cache of learning or knowledge of your field is constantly updated.
It will make you more confident. It is just so. You can discuss about your field to anyone knowing that you have a deeper understanding and expanded knowledge of the topic. A decade of experience and consistent refinement of what you know makes you an expert in the field.
It will give you a sense of purpose. You know where you are heading, that is, to build on your expertise, be better at your field and reach your potential as a professional.
Overall, a learned individual is an interesting person.
Other sources of Learning
Aside from online courses, there are many other sources of learning.
Google always gives us an ample information on just about anything.
For the many of us who are visuals, YouTube how-tos are a great source of both entertainment, lectures and demos.
Books and audiobooks offer in-depth and extensive discussion of topics for the readers as well as for the non-readers.
Attending conferences and lectures arebest for what is the latest information and breakthroughs in our professions. Symposia bring up the issues confronting certain fields.
Even networking with fellow with attendees would give us insights about our field.
They say that to really become master in your field, you should teach it. Mentorship and the exchange of ideas is a two-way learning process.
Get as much from those trainings sponsored by companies. Do not just be interested with the certificates.
Continuous learning is a habit.
We should make learning as a habit. After all, life is a never-ending learning process. Why not make it more deliberate.
We should stay curious. In this information age where knowledge is just always at the tip of our fingers, learning has never been easier. Let us commit to it. It is always a win-win.
Albert Einstein made it easier for us to comprehend this need with his quote: Once you stop learning, you start dying.
Disclaimer: I am not in any way connected with udemy nor will I get any remuneration from them for this article. Just wanted to give you an idea on how you can educate yourself more.
Hi, I'm Cecille. I have been an OFW in KSA for 13 long years. I have been there, done that. I'd say I was lucky because for most of those years, my family was with me. I'd like to share in this blog what makes those years worthwhile, the lessons I learned and bits and pieces of info that may pique your interest as bagong bayani.