7 Signs It's Time for Mid-Career Training Refresh

Everyone has peaks and valleys in their career fields, no matter their official title. Some employees start from the bottom and end up becoming the boss over time due to their innovative approach to resolving issues. Others take a stance and lead from the middle and end up moving mountains in support of the organizational annual goals without the need of having an "official title."

There are numerous examples of some staff who excel with or without titles because they are simply great  leaders who remember that learning is a continuous process in life and work. They also recognize when its time to take a pause and proactively refresh their talents.

So how do you know when it's time to enhance your work skills? When you stop being creative every day due to complacency, then it's time to enhance your skills. Check out the list below and kick start your career goals with fresh perspective.

7 Signs It's Time for a Mid-Career Training Refresh

1. Workdays on Autopilot: If you arrive at work everyday and proceed with your tasks in the same exact manner expecting everything to be just so...it's time to try something new. While the old adage of "if it's not broke, don't fix it" may ramble through your head...remember you got to the career of your choice by being on the leading edge. 
2. Multitasking Becomes Your Norm and Not the Exception: First, there is nothing wrong with multitasking except that you may miss an opportunity to learn something new when you spread yourself too thin. The ability to focus and grow you skills requires dedication and commitment is an acquired skill. Now is the time to tap into that so you can really take notice of pearls of wisdom in everything you do. 
3. It was Y2K when You Last Enrolled in a Training Course This is beyond someone saying there is an App for that. Some agencies proactively encourage staff to take professional development training that will be mutually beneficial. So, what are you waiting for? Look up some courses, get selected to take your business skills to the next level and ramp up for your learning adventure. 
4. Your Career Goals Continue to Evolve. Everyone starts with grandiose dreams about their professional lives and many of us achieve them in our own space and time. Moreover, as we begin to excel in our chosen field, we also become more selective about the types of tasks, career paths and organizations we wish to work with. Basically, we all want some sort of work-life balance that does not require us to work 120 hour weeks with no results or recognition. 
5. Narrow Career Fields. Remember when you started your job and all you needed was a degree and you were hired? Times have changed and most organizations expect new hires to have industry-specific credentials and a college education to help them advance their goals. 
6. Organization Transitions are Continuous. Organizations in public and private sector continue to be in a state of flux. This means that organizations are changing, personnel will change and overall goals will change too. So how do you stay on stop of things? Check out free online courses, professional industry workshops and MOOCs for diverse educational opportunities. 
7. Routine Work Assignments are Your Norm. Next time you are in the office or in a work meeting, listen to your your colleagues talk about their work assignments. Are their efforts on the leading edge? Or in support of legacy programs that are about to be decommissioned? If you are not innovating, chances are you have routine work assignments. While that helps to pay the bills, does it feed your passion for the work you enjoy? If not, take an assessment of your  efforts, review your agency's current goals and generate some new ideas to get their. Your  imagination is a limitless possibility of net-gen opportunities.