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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nsmarter faster better<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
by Charles Duhigg<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u23f1 14 minutes reading time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udfa7 Audio version available<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Buy on Ama<\/a>z<\/a>on<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike a regular job, where you\u2019re likely to receive written instructions on everything you need to know about your job, freelancers have a very different experience. No matter how good your education is or how much experience you have, again, you\u2019re diving into the deep end. One of the best ways to approach freelancing is learning on the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not an attempt to scare you away. In fact, by the end of this video, you\u2019ll be more than ready to dive in yourself. The best thing about freelancing is the freedom that comes with it. You\u2019re free to make your own schedule, choose which clients you want to work with, and the kind of work you want to do. All in all, everything about your work is unique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning on the job helps you further tailor your work to your clients. You\u2019re learning everything you need to know– and learning to avoid what isn\u2019t useful, which leads to more, and better, success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of also being forced to learn a lot of things you\u2019re never going to use, you\u2019ll be able to filter through all the fluff and learn what you can use– instead of wasting your time and effort with skills that aren\u2019t useful to your field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, cost-effective<\/em>. A term every freelancer, new or old, loves to hear. Here is another great thing about learning on the job– it\u2019s a lot cheaper than any other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a normal job, training can cost literally thousands. HR Onboard estimated that the average cost of bringing a new employee and training them can reach up to and over $40,000. If you specialized in the technology industry, you can easily double that number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning on the job isn\u2019t just a quirky way to approach acquiring skills– it can be a necessity if you don\u2019t have the funds. Because you\u2019re diving into the deep end, working with whatever software, device, document, or material you\u2019re going to be using on a daily basis, you don\u2019t need to pour money into a course. This is why traditional training courses and expensive workshops are being usurped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the job learning stands out because instead of spending hours in a crowded and stuffy conference room, trying to focus on a Powerpoint presentation, you\u2019re experimenting and testing how things work for yourself. To say that this approach is more efficient is an understatement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It saves time in the sense that it\u2019s both practical and intensive. As a new freelancer, you want to make as much progress per day as possible, and as quickly as possible. So it makes sense that taking the time out of the day and removing yourself from your immersive work place to train takes a giant chunk out of your schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re learning while <\/em>you\u2019re working, so– technically– you\u2019re still doing your job, which means you\u2019re making headway. Plus, a hands-on approach is a much better and faster way to establish an efficient routine. Once you\u2019ve done it a few times, you\u2019ll have built some muscle memory and will be able to go through your process faster the next time, already knowing which errors to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also efficiency in the sense that you don\u2019t have to even leave your workstation or desk to take a training course. You\u2019re not even taking time off. Learning on the job means that you get to start working in your chosen job immediately rather than waiting until a course has a spot for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is another added benefit to this hands-on approach. You\u2019re unlikely to become an expert overnight, and a hands-on approach often requires a mentor or advice from other freelancers in the same field as you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll meet people and build your network this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that it\u2019s estimated that by 2030, up to 375 million people will need to learn new job skills in order to adapt to the ever-changing technological transformation? <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s on top of the old adage: how no matter how much education or experience you may have, you always have something new to learn. You can\u2019t spend your life in a classroom; you need to apply your new skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are plenty of debates about the importance of education versus experience. We won\u2019t get into the nitty gritty details today, but the main takeaway is: it\u2019s important to find balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you weren\u2019t a freelancer, employers want to know what you have to offer and how you react in real-world job situations. Strictly academia with no experience will only get you far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning on the job helps you fill in the gaps of what your formal education didn\u2019t teach you. This way, you\u2019ll strengthen your skills and make room for further development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the same reason some parents leave their kids to learn to swim on their own, learning on the job is one way you can grow personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The act of learning on the job brings career readiness and offers an unparalleled sense of purpose. You\u2019re also gaining an incredible sense of achievement because the process of learning is rewarding on its own. You\u2019re gaining independence and learning to move forward in your life. No amount of courses could give you the same ability to think on your feet, to solve problems, and to expand how you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Salesforce research found that on the job learning is a key <\/em>driver of success, with over 70% of employees saying that this method helped them become more productive and engaged at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During training, everyone is guilty of zoning out occasionally. But because you\u2019re learning as you work, training becomes engaging. Forget about the dullness of a classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of companies have built-in processes to help their employees learn while others trust that their new hires will just figure it out. As a freelancer, you don\u2019t get that luxury. However, fear not. Why? It\u2019s because adaptable learners are in high demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proof of that lies in this Satya Nadella quote– Satya Nadella is Microsoft\u2019s current CEO. He\u2019s among those who believe it\u2019s important to be ready to learn in the evolving world. He says, \u201cWe want to be not a \u2018know-it-all\u2019, but a \u2018learn-it-all\u2019 organization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A clear benefit of learning while you work? You can immediately tell what works and what doesn\u2019t. It\u2019s not just theory. If you\u2019re working with clients, you\u2019ll get immediate feedback about what you\u2019re learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re doing it right, you\u2019ll get an amazing sense of satisfaction when you successfully apply what you practiced to good use. With your new knowledge– tried, tested, and true– you\u2019re able to apply it consistently and more accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And lastly, all the things you learned while learning on the job open a gateway to opportunities where you can apply them in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it this way. As a child, did you look at a toy or a machine and wondered how it worked? Did you take it apart in an attempt to understand it from the inside out? Learning on the job is a lot like that. And if you did that during your childhood, this may already be the way you learn the best– trial and error, learning the hard way, and experimenting until you get it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same way you tinkered with that machine, right now, you\u2019re tinkering with your code, application, software, or whatever it is you\u2019re trying to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it can be scary to be thrown into a hands-on approach. You\u2019re handed a responsibility and a deadline and left to your own devices, but remember that this \u201ctrial under fire\u201d is one of the best ways you can succeed and stand out as a freelancer. It may be just the motivation you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe it or not, a lot of very early startups are winging it, just like you. Everyone is fumbling and learning as they go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the Snapreads app, you get the key insights from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not hours or days. Our experts transform these books into quick, memorable, easy-to-understand insights you can read when you have the time or listen to them on the go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s Personalized<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Cost-Effective<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s More Efficient<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Networking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It Helps Address Your Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It Helps You Grow Personally<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s More Engaging<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Get Immediate Feedback<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Can Apply It In Real Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat Is Snapreads?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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