Introduction
Self-Management Learning (SML) became especially popular with the development of technologies, allowing students and employees to study online after school and work. Self Managed Learning is a part of a strategic approach to learning, which creates the direct linkage between an individual’s professional or a businesses’ needs and the learning activity (Cunningham, 2017). People using self-management learning are defining aims, deciding “how to achieve them, how to measure them, and how to integrate their learning with organizational needs” (Cunningham, 2017, p. 7). Therefore, it is essential to use SML in the current or future career because it helps strategically personal and professional aims.
Approaches and Benefits of Self-Management Learning
One of the approaches to self-management learning is e-learning, which lies in the usage of the Learning Management System (LMS), online platforms (used by schools, colleges, and universities), which became a significant part of distance education. Another approach is career self-management, which stands not only for self-education but also for “searching for career opportunities, networking, or seeking supervisory support and positioning oneself” (Runhaar, Bouwmans & Vermeulen, 2019, p. 364). Interesting enough, such career self-management programs are popular not only among individuals but also are used in organizations to teach employees. Therefore, self-management learning indeed can lead to lifelong personal (by constant perceiving soft skills, for instance) and professional (by learning hard skills) development.
There are many benefits of e-learning enhanced by educational institutions (organizations) on its students. According to Zheng, Wang, Doll, Deng, and Williams (2018), such benefits include saving teachers’ time, improving instruction quality, and increasing students’ future job productivity. One of the advantages of career self-management learning is achieving self-efficiacy, which includes learned behavior and necessary sof skills encountered in work situations (Runhaar et al., 2019). All mentioned approaches to self-management education provide students with benefits that help them not to interrupt their learning even when applying to a good job.
Personal and Professional Development Plan
I am interested in progressing my career as a professor in the field of business. In schools, economic teachers can find jobs, and in universities, employees can find workplaces as business teachers. I find a career as a business professor in the educational field very attractive because it helps a teacher studying constantly and handing over the knowledge to his students. Organizational goals include improving teaching effectiveness, growing employed students, and broadening the range of suggested courses. Concerning teachers’ professional standards, Doyle (2021) emphasizes communication, critical thinking, patience, creativity, organizational and technical skills. The latter two competencies can be referred to hard skills. Moreover, candidates should obtain a strong learning goal orientation. People who have it “are likely to see both positive and negative feedback as relevant information that helps them to improve their capabilities,” which refers to communication and critical thinking skills (Runhaar, 2019, p. 370). I am skillful in organizing work, prioritizing and time-management, network, teamwork, and setting boundaries, which are a part of communication (Doyle, 2021). Therefore, I should work on critical thinking and technical skills the most.
To make a career as a teacher, I should study new courses concerning critical thinking and technical skills. To begin with, I must prioritize the ways of achieving the stated development goal. Firstly, I should finish several courses on the necessary soft skills achieved by already discussed e-learning within the Coursera portal until 2022. Therefore, before the end of November, I will learn critical thinking with the help of a 3-month lasting program in Coursera. Then, until the New Year, I will finish training that lasts for two months, concerning basic technical skills, including computational programs (also in Coursera). After this, I will start preparation for entering the MBA program, which requires the GMAT exam, to which I will dedicate the next studying year (several topics to be learned per month). As the discussed aims are meant to be a part of self-management learning, strong motivation and deadlines are crucial, so SMART strategies are essential for me. That is why my goals are relevant, divided into smaller tasks, and time-bounded.
Conclusion: Lifelong Learning and Opportunities
There are some ways to encourage lifelong learning, and both require solid personal motivation. Lifelong development can be achieved by technological tools (such as electronic devices, online portals, and LMS) and career self-management programs (initiated by an individual or an organization). That is why I propose that educational institutions provide students with a broader range of courses-to-choose, which can be studied online through LMS. This will help young people follow their own goals, understand values that they care about, and choose a future career. After graduation, employees should be attracted by career programs; that is why my proposal recommends organizations provide workers with career training. This will help people become interested in perpetual education because of the benefits that employers can provide them with. Therefore, because of lifelong development, workers will have ongoing advancement opportunities, grow as specialists, and earn more money, while firms will achieve better effectiveness by increasing employees’ skills and competencies.
References
Cunningham, I. (2017). The wisdom of strategic learning: The self managed learning solution. Routledge.
Doyle A. (2021). Important Job Skills for Teachers. The Balance Careers, Web.
Runhaar P., Bouwmans M. & Vermeulen M. (2019) Exploring teachers’ career self-management. Considering the roles of organizational career management, occupational self-efficacy, and learning goal orientation, Human Resource Development International, 22(4), 364-384.
Zheng Y., Wang J., Doll W., Deng X. & Williams M. (2018) The impact of organisational support, technical support, and self-efficacy on faculty perceived benefits of using learning management system, Behaviour & Information Technology, 37(4), 311-319.