Training and learning online: Identifying your training needs

This section helps you identify what training needs you have and what to do about meeting them. It may look simple and straightforward, but it isn't. The more time you spend carefully thinking about this, the more you will get out of it.

Committing your thoughts to paper will underline the seriousness with which you are taking your investment.

Complete your Personal commitment to training (below), in writing and print a copy. Keep it where you can see it everyday.

Step 1: What skills do you currently have?
List the five skills you use most frequently in your job. This is not asking what skills you are best at, but what do you use most frequently.

Consider hard technical skills e.g. Java competence, but also consider soft skills such as networking, presentation skills etc. Rate these as 'Poor', 'OK' or 'Good'.

Be honest. Don't understate or overstate your competence. It won't do you any good. If you were to show your assessment to your colleagues, would they agree with you?

Step 2: Where do you want to be in three years' time?
Same job? Same career? Same company? Same country?

Step 3: What skills will you need in that environment?
What hard technical skills do you need? What soft skills will you need? Rigorously test your answers. Discuss it with friends, colleagues, peers etc. This is your investment programme, so take the effort to get it right.

Don't assume that the skills currently needed for this role will be the same in the future. What will be the impact of technology on your career? How will this change the current job function?

Step 4: List the top three skills you will need in the future
Rate your current capability for each of these skills.

Step 5: Identify the differences
You have now identified the skills you currently practise and the skills you will need to succeed in getting to where you want to be in three years' time.

Look at the differences. Which of your current skills will you need to preserve and keep updated? Will some of your current skills be irrelevant in the future? If so, don't invest your time and resources keeping them up to date.

You may be outstanding at these skills, but so what? No-one will want them in three years' time. Focus on the skills that will be important in the future, not those that have been important in the past.

Step 6: Review available resources
How are you going to acquire these skills? Are you going to get these from your current employer? If so, when? Can you get them from another employer?

Can you get these skills on your own from other sources? E.g. if you need 'leadership' skills, consider joining the Territorial Army in your spare time.

If you need to speak fluent business French because you want to be in Paris in three years' time, then start reading French business newspapers now.

Step 7: Plan Make a plan as to how your skills will develop. Make the plan specific and verifiable. Does each stage of the plan pass the SMART test?

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timescale

Don't wait three years before you review your progress, but set standards and milestones now. Set interim goals.

Step 8: Free-up your time
Don't overreach yourself. How much time can you allocate to these skills? If it is five hours a week, then imagine the impact this will have on the rest of your life.

If this will mean not meeting friends twice a week then allow for that. Become disciplined enough to make that time. Set aside, say, Monday and Thursday evenings, and keep them free. Blank them out in your diaries.

Step 9: Commit the plan to writing
Write it down. Complete the Personal Commitment to Training. In writing.

My Personal Commitment to Training

GOAL
In three years' time I want to be ---------------------------------

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SKILLS NEEDED To be successful I will need to be good at the following three skills

1---------------------------------

2---------------------------------

3---------------------------------

I will focus on developing these skills as a priority.

ACTION PLAN

I will do this by:

1---------------------------------

2---------------------------------

3---------------------------------

4---------------------------------

5---------------------------------

TARGETS In three months' time I will be:

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In six months' time I will be:

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In 12 months' time I will be:

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In 24 months' time I will be:

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COMMITMENT

I recognise that this will need ???? hours per week to acquire these skills. I commit myself to achieving this.

Signed

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Date

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