How to Train for New Skills and Work at the Same Time

Do you want to take your career to the next level but don’t know how? Training for new skills while working full-time can seem overwhelming. But, with the right plan and commitment, you can make it work! In this blog post, we’ll explore how to train for new skills and work at the same time. We’ll look at strategies to help you manage your time, identify areas of growth, and find resources to help you achieve your goals. So, if you’re ready to take your career to the next level, let’s get started!

Set Priorities

When it comes to training for new skills and working at the same time, it is essential to set priorities. It is important to determine which tasks are most important and which can wait. Consider what skills are necessary for you to achieve your career goals and prioritize those skills first. You may need to take some time away from other tasks in order to focus on training for new skills. Identifying and ranking priorities will help you make sure that you are investing your time and energy in the areas that will have the biggest impact. Once you know your priorities, it will be easier to create a plan to ensure that you are able to train for new skills while still working.

Create a Schedule

Having a set schedule can help you to stay on track with both your work and your learning. Making a schedule will allow you to prioritize tasks and divide up your time more efficiently. To create a schedule that works for you, start by writing down all the tasks you need to complete in a day and assign a specific time frame to each one. Make sure to include time for breaks, meals, and family time too. Once you have the tasks written down, decide how you can best fit them into the day.

To make sure you stick to your schedule, it can help to break it up into blocks of time dedicated to work and learning. You may even want to create a physical or digital calendar so that you can visually see how your day is broken up. Scheduling regular check-ins with yourself can also help to make sure you are staying on track. This can be done by setting reminders or alarms that tell you when it’s time to switch tasks. Lastly, don’t forget to build in some extra time for unexpected tasks or unforeseen delays. This will give you some breathing room if things don’t go as planned.

Get Organized

Organization is key when trying to balance working and learning new skills. Without a plan in place, you may find yourself too overwhelmed and stressed to focus on either task. To get organized, consider making a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule that outlines when you will work and when you will train for new skills.

Start by listing out all the activities you need to do during the day and in what order you’d like to do them. For example, if you’re trying to learn a new language, you might decide that reviewing vocabulary and grammar for 30 minutes should be the first task of the day. This helps ensure that you’re dedicating time each day to advancing your skillset.

Next, determine how much time you can realistically devote to each activity. Working full-time while also training can be hard and require a lot of discipline. It’s important to recognize your limits and determine how much time you can actually dedicate to learning each day. That way, you can make sure your learning goals are achievable.

Once you have a plan in place, create a tracking system to hold yourself accountable. You might make an Excel spreadsheet with checklists of the tasks you need to do each day or use a time-tracking app like Toggl or RescueTime. That way, you can keep track of how much time you’re spending on each activity and make sure you stay on track.

Organization is the foundation for successful juggling between work and learning new skills. Taking the time to create a plan and set up a tracking system can help ensure that you have enough time and energy for both activities.

Set Aside Dedicated Learning Time

Finding time to learn a new skill while also working can seem daunting, but with the right strategies, it is possible. One of the most important things to do when trying to balance both is to set aside dedicated learning time. This is time that is solely devoted to training for new skills without other distractions or obligations.

Start by setting a realistic goal for the amount of time you can dedicate to learning each day or week. Block this time out in your schedule and make sure that it is a priority. Having a fixed learning schedule will help you stay motivated and make steady progress.

You can also set goals for yourself during each dedicated learning session. For example, decide on a certain number of chapters you want to read in a book, tasks you want to complete on an online course, or topics you want to research before taking a break. Breaking down your goal into smaller, more manageable chunks can make it easier to keep up with your learning schedule.

If possible, try to create a designated learning space in your home or office. This area should be free of distractions and set up specifically for learning. Make sure it’s comfortable and stocked with any materials you might need for your studies.

By setting aside dedicated learning time and creating a space just for studying, you will be able to make the most of your training efforts and balance work and learning successfully.

How to Learn While Working

There are plenty of resources online available to you for whatever skill you are attempting to gain. At devCodeCamp, we have entire built our courses made in-house from the ground up that give you the skillsets you need to launch a career in code, data analytics, and UI/UX design. We also have flex options for some of our courses. These flex options are made specifically for those who are unable to replace the valuable time in their lives but still ready to progress their professional paths.

Reach out today to learn more about the devCodeCamp difference.