Stressed about keeping up with the ever-changing job market? 🤯
Take a deep breath!
There's hope on the horizon as we explore the future of learning and development.
Stay tuned for our breakdown of five cutting-edge trends that'll empower you to upskill, adapt, and conquer 🏆
Micro-learning is a method that delivers bite-sized, focused content to help you quickly absorb and retain information.
Sounds perfect, right?
Well, it was actually scientifically proven in the mid-1880s by Hermann Ebbinghaus.
While doing his experiments, he asked people to remember some made-up sounds and silly words. He did this to learn about how well people could remember things and how their memory worked.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve illustrates that people typically forget 80% of the knowledge they learn within a month, especially if it's not crucial to their immediate tasks.
Micro-learning can address this issue by breaking content into smaller pieces and facilitating periodic recall, which in turn improves knowledge retention and productivity.
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As shown in Ebbinghaus' memory retention graph, memory retention drops over time; however, continuous review of information helps retain more knowledge in the long run.
One of the ways that micro-learning is being used today is in education and corporate training. So let’s say that you are an Instructional Designer working in Tech Ed and you want to start incorporating micro-learning into your work.
Here are 5 easy ways to start using this trend:
Bite-sized tutorials 🍪
As an Instructional Designer, create a series of short, engaging tutorials that cover specific topics in your Tech Ed course. For example, if you're teaching programming, create mini-tutorials on basic concepts like loops, conditional statements, and functions. This way, students can quickly grasp and apply new concepts without feeling overwhelmed.
Interactive quizzes 🧠
Incorporate quick, interactive quizzes throughout your course material to help learners test their understanding of the content. Use tools like Kahoot or Quizizz to create fun and engaging quizzes that focus on specific topics. By making these quizzes short and relevant, you encourage learners to actively participate and retain the information more effectively.
Learning through infographics 📊
Create visually appealing infographics that summarize key concepts and ideas in your Tech Ed course. By breaking down complex information into digestible visuals, you help learners understand and remember the material more easily. For example, create an infographic that illustrates the differences between front-end and back-end programming, or one that outlines the basics of web development.
Video nuggets 🎥
Develop short, informative videos that cover a single topic within your course. These video nuggets can be 2-5 minutes long, focusing on a specific skill or concept. For instance, create a video explaining how to set up a development environment or how to use Git for version control. By keeping the content concise and to the point, you cater to learners with limited time or short attention spans.
Mini-challenges 💡
Introduce mini-challenges or tasks throughout your Tech Ed course that require learners to apply their newfound skills or knowledge. These tasks should be quick, focused, and achievable, allowing learners to practice and reinforce their learning. For example, ask students to write a simple script to solve a basic problem, or challenge them to debug a piece of code to identify errors.
Gamification motivates and encourages users (customers) to actively participate and achieve their goals (free stuff).
You may be thinking, “Well how can I incorporate a game into my job or company?”
Well, it’s actually much easier than you think! In fact, you might already be playing a game with a company and not even know it!
Consider this retail example:
You probably have some Nike shoes, and Nike has their own fitness app that can track your workouts and steps, called Nike+. Nike also developed a special sensor that you can attach to your Nike shoes. This special sensor tracks all your information on the Nike app and website which has a special community for runners.
Now, all of a sudden, you have a game! Because you want to be the one with the most steps or the one that ran the longest that day. This, in turn, keeps you, the customer, motivated to meet your fitness goals and keep using the Nike app.
Pretty cool, right?
So now that you have an idea of how gamification works, let's look at a more realistic example. Imagine you’re a small online retail business owner selling coffee, and you want to use some gamification techniques in your brand.
Here are 5 ways that you can get started:
Reward points system 🏆
Introduce a reward points system for your customers to earn points for various actions, such as making a purchase, referring friends, or leaving product reviews. These points can then be redeemed for discounts, free shipping, or exclusive products. For example, customers could earn 1 point for every dollar spent and use those points to unlock special offers or free samples.
Scavenger hunt 🕵️♀️
Organize an online scavenger hunt by hiding special icons or coffee-related images throughout your website. Customers can collect these icons and win prizes, discounts, or exclusive content. For example, hide a hidden coffee bean icon on various product pages, and once customers find all the beans, they can unlock a special discount code.
Tiered loyalty program 🎖️
Create a tiered loyalty program that offers customers increasing benefits as they level up. Each level could have its own set of perks, such as discounts, early access to sales, or personalized offers. For example, when customers reach "Gold" status, they could receive 10% off all purchases, and at "Platinum" status, they might get 15% off and exclusive access to limited-edition coffee blends.
Gamified product quizzes 🎮
Design fun and interactive quizzes to help customers discover the best coffee blends based on their preferences. By answering a series of questions about taste, roast level, and preferred brewing methods, customers can find their perfect coffee match. As a reward, offer a small discount or free sample of the recommended coffee blend.
Social media contests and challenges 📱
Leverage social media platforms to run contests and challenges that encourage customers to engage with your brand. For example, host a photo contest where customers submit images of their morning coffee ritual, with the best entry winning a free coffee subscription for a month. Or, create a challenge where customers share their favorite coffee recipe or brewing method using a specific hashtag, and reward the most creative or unique entry with a discount or special prize.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is essential in today's fast-paced world, especially for sales professionals.
Why?
It's simple—by harnessing EI skills, they can forge stronger relationships, communicate like pros, and adapt swiftly to ever-changing business landscapes.
With EI in their toolbox, salespeople stand out from the competition and level up their performance, ultimately skyrocketing their path to success.
Let’s take a look at Oracle, a Fortune 500 company, to further understand the importance of EI.
Oracle kickstarted its Emotional Capital program in 2019 with a fresh training initiative called the EMEA Sales Factory 🏭💡
The game plan?
Six interactive workshops that zeroed in on core EQ values like optimism, self-confidence, and empathy, all guided by RocheMartin certified Oracle coaches.
And guess what?
The impact was mind-blowing 💥
Fast-forward to the next fiscal year and Oracle decided to supersize its Emotional Capital program by introducing sales leadership workshops.
The result?
Even better commercial and operational practices, all thanks to leveling up EQ skills and resilience 🚀💼
So, as a B2B salesperson yourself, you might have a goal of wanting to increase your closing rate and drive more sales using EI.
Here are 5 ways that you can upskill yourself:
Online Courses 🖥️
Enroll in courses that focus on emotional intelligence for sales. For example, LinkedIn Learning offers courses like "Develop Your Emotional Intelligence" by Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts that can help you to understand and manage emotions in yourself and others.
Podcasts & Videos 🎧🎬
Tune in to podcasts like "The Sales Evangelist" and watch TED Talks or YouTube videos that discuss the power of emotional intelligence in sales. It's a great way to pick up tips, tricks, and inspiration on the go!
Books 📚
Get your hands on the bestseller "Emotional Intelligence 2.0" by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, or the research report titled "The Emotionally Intelligent Salesperson" by Dr. Christopher P. Blocker. They're chock-full of actionable strategies to boost your EI game in sales.
Networking & Mentoring 🤝
Reach out to seasoned sales professionals who have mastered the art of using EI in their sales approach. Pick their brains, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections that can help you refine your own tactics.
Practice Makes Perfect 🏆
Apply your newfound EI knowledge in your day-to-day sales interactions. Observe clients' emotions, empathize with their needs, and adapt your communication style to resonate with them. Keep learning from experience and track your progress!
How awesome would it be if we could ditch those basic, one-size-fits-all tech skill courses in school or at work?
Sure, refreshers can be helpful, but let's be honest – our savvy advanced learners might feel like they're stuck in a time warp and lose that spark for the material.
Since we all have unique skill sets and levels, it's super important to keep these differences in mind when leveling up or diving into fresh, exciting new skills.
Personalized learning paths empower individuals to tailor their educational journey according to their unique needs, goals, and preferences, resulting in more effective and engaging learning experiences.
For this example, we’re going to look at IBM and how they’ve incorporated personalized learning paths into their L&D department for their employees.
IBM has developed its own program called "Your Learning,” a personalized learning platform crafted to support its employees in their career growth.
With a variety of training resources and opportunities, employees can delve into areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
By using this tailored platform, IBM team members can continually acquire new skills and knowledge that will help them excel in their career journey.
Now, since we all don’t work for IBM, you need to curate your own personalized learning path based on your skill set and goals. So for example, let’s say that you are a data analyst and want to stay up to date on the latest trends but also refresh your current skills.
Here are 5 techniques that you can use to develop a personalized learning path that’s unique to you:
Curate Content from Top Blogs 🌐
Keep up with the latest trends by following industry-leading blogs like Towards Data Science and KDNuggets. They frequently share cutting-edge techniques and insightful case studies, providing a wealth of knowledge that you can apply in your work.
Enroll in Online Courses 🎓
Platforms like Coursera and Udemy offer top-rated data analytics courses taught by industry experts. Choose courses that align with your goals, like "Advanced Data Visualization Techniques" or "Mastering Machine Learning," to bolster your skills and stay ahead in the field.
Join Data Analyst Communities 🤝
Connect with fellow data analysts on forums such as Reddit's r/datascience and Stack Overflow. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and exchange ideas to gain new insights and expand your understanding of the latest trends.
Attend Virtual Workshops and Webinars 🎥
Many industry events, like ODSC (Open Data Science Conference), offer virtual workshops and webinars that allow you to learn from leading professionals in the field. Attend these events to stay updated on new techniques and tools, and don't forget to network with your peers!
Set Real-World Challenges 🎯
Challenge yourself with real-world data sets from platforms like Kaggle, which provides hands-on opportunities to practice and refine your skills. Participate in competitions or explore available datasets to apply your newfound knowledge and test your abilities.
Since we’re on the topic of personalization let's talk about how Wonsulting's Ultimate Bundle can support your personalized learning journey.
This comprehensive package includes Career Consulting, Resume Revision, LinkedIn Profile Revision, and an AutoApply to Jobs feature to help streamline your job search.
In addition, you'll receive a tailored Job Search Strategy, Interview Preparation, two Check-in Meetings, and Continued Support to keep you confident and focused throughout the process.
As a bonus, you'll also get get access to Continued Support, a guarantee that we will support you and guide you for as long as it takes you to get hired. It’s for our Ultimate and Land the Job Bundle clients, and all you need to do is schedule a 15-minute session with your career coach.
Consider Wonsulting's Ultimate Bundle as a valuable resource for tailoring your career development and maximizing your potential in today's competitive job market.
Ready to ride the tech wave? Virtual reality is sizzling hot right now! Just take a peek at the massive efforts poured into Web3 development.
To truly appreciate how far technology has developed, it's time to give a warm bear hug to virtual and augmented reality, or as the cool kids say, VR/AR.
VR/AR technologies offer unparalleled opportunities by immersing users in realistic, interactive environments for professional training, allowing them to upskill themselves in a highly engaging and effective way.
Let’s dive into the world of real estate where AR/VR technology is helping sell homes as well as furniture and accessories.
It’s hard to imagine buying a house without ever setting foot on the property, but with the latest technology, it’s now possible to do.
Everyone’s favorite real estate website, Zillow, has the ability to view entire homes virtually on its app. Having this feature on a listing increases its views by 68%.
Pretty powerful stuff!
And let’s not forget what goes inside the house. IKEA developed its own app for customers to visualize true-to-scale 3D models of its entire furniture catalog in a space by using AR.
Now let’s change gears and say that you work in real estate as a realtor. You want to increase productivity and your closing rate.
Here are 5 ways that AR/VR can help you make the sale:
Virtual Home Tours 🏠
Embrace the power of VR by offering immersive virtual home tours to your clients. With this tech, your clients can explore properties in 360 degrees, walking through rooms and feeling the space, all without leaving their own homes. This saves time, increases safety, and makes the viewing process a breeze!
AR Home Staging 🛋️
Wave goodbye to traditional staging and hello to AR home staging! Use augmented reality apps to add virtual furniture and decorations to empty spaces, allowing potential buyers to visualize the potential of the property. By showcasing a beautifully designed space, you'll create an emotional connection that can lead to faster sales.
Virtual Reality Neighborhood Tours 🏘️
Take your clients on a virtual neighborhood tour to help them get a feel for the community. Showcase local parks, schools, and amenities using VR, giving them a taste of what it's like to live in the area. This insider's view helps clients make more informed decisions and feel confident about their choice.
Interactive Floor Plans 📐
Using AR technology, transform traditional 2D floor plans into interactive 3D models. Clients can walk through these plans, observing the layout and flow of the property, giving them a better understanding of how the space will work for their needs. This engaging and dynamic approach can capture their imagination and boost their interest in the property.
Personalized Property Recommendations 🌟
Leverage AR/VR to offer personalized property recommendations based on your client's preferences. By virtually experiencing various styles and features, you can quickly gather insights into their likes and dislikes. Armed with this information, you can tailor your property suggestions to match their dream home, making the search more efficient and enjoyable for both of you.
Continuous learning and development are your superpowers in this ever-evolving job market.
Embrace new trends, stay adaptable, and you'll be well on your way to achieving your career goals.
Keep pushing forward, stay inspired, and always be ready for the next challenge 🚀
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