Lifelong learning is a buzz phrase in the twentieth-first century because we are awash in new technology and information all the time, and those who know how to learn, continuously, are in the best position to keep up and take advantage of these changes. Think of all the information resources around you: colleges and universities, libraries, the Internet, videos, games, books, films—the list goes on.

With these resources at your disposal, how can you best position yourself for lifelong learning and a strong, viable career? Which hard and soft skills are most important? What are employers really looking for?

Strategies for Gaining Skills

Personal Projects

Engaging in personal projects is a great, self-directed way to gain skills. Not only will your personal project be motivating because it’s something solely designed and implemented with your own interests in mind, but you will likely need to learn new skills to complete your project. This project means that you’ll have a concrete and (hopefully) exciting goal to help keep you motivated to learn new skills, and at the end, you’ll have a finished product you might potentially be able to make part of your work portfolio.

Online Courses

You may not have additional time to take online courses while you’re pursuing your degree, but there are lots of opportunities available to take online courses on pretty much any skill you’d be interested in learning. You can learn more informally from YouTube videos or you could sign up for a course on Udemy or another platform that offers a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Part-Time Work

You may already be working part-time while you are in school, or perhaps you’re considering it. Taking on work can be about more than just a paycheck if you have the opportunity to pick a job that will continue to build your skillset. Think about what skills you’d like to learn and then take a look at the job offerings around campus to see if there’s a good match. You might find the experience invaluable.

Volunteer Opportunities

Another way you can build your skills and your social network is through volunteering. Volunteering could be a weekly or monthly commitment, or maybe more often. Take a look at what opportunities are available around you for volunteering, and if any of those opportunities seem like a good fit for you both in what your passions are and in helping you grow in ways you’re interested in growing.

Join a Friend

You’re likely to meet a lot of people in school who have many different experiences and interests. Make the most of your differences by joining your new friends in the things they love to do. Maybe you could join your friend on a volunteer day or take up rock climbing with an experienced partner. You can tap into your social network to learn new skills and experiences if you’re brave enough to try something new. Let your friends help you out on this one!

The following list was inspired by the remarks of Mark Atwood, director of open-source engagement at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. It contains excellent practical advice.

• Learn how to write clearly. After you’ve written something, have people edit it. Then rewrite it, taking into account the feedback you received. Write all the time.
• Learn how to speak. Speak clearly on the phone and at a table. For public speaking, try joining Toastmasters. “Meet and speak. Speak and write.”
• Be reachable. Publish your email so that people can contact you. Don’t worry about spam.
• Learn about computers and computing, even if you aren’t gearing for a career in information technology. Learn something entirely new every six to twelve months.
• Build relationships within your community. Use tools like Meetup.com and search for clubs at local schools, libraries, and centers. Then, seek out remote people around the country and world. Learn about them and their projects first by searching the Internet.
• Attend conferences and events. These are a great way to network with people and meet them face-to-face.
• Find a project and get involved. Start reading questions and answers, then start answering questions.
• Collaborate with people all over the world.
• Keep your LinkedIn profile and social media profiles up-to-date. Be findable.
• Keep learning. Skills will often beat smarts. Be sure to schedule time for learning and having fun!

Just Get Involved

After you’ve networked with enough people and built up your reputation, your peers can connect you with job openings that may be a good fit for your skills.