New Year, New Skills?

“I want to lose weight.”
“I want to exercise more.”
“I want to learn to play that ukulele that has been sitting in my cupboard.”
“I want to learn Korean!”
“I want to boost my skills and improve my career prospects!”

Making New Year’s resolutions is like goal setting, with many hoping to spark a positive change. Whether it is on your health and fitness aspects or learning something new for your personal or professional development. Having a plan keeps you on track and pave the way for success.

If taking a more active approach towards learning a new skill or advance your career is on your list, read on to find out how you can build your own Learning Plan to follow through on your resolution this new year.

Step 1: Take Stock!

Before jumping into your goal, take stock of your current skill sets and circumstances – 

a. What are your current skill sets? 
b. Are your current skills relevant for the path you want to take?   

For a greater sense, find out what are the in-demand skills needed for your learning and career plans, including top skills employers might be looking out for here.

Step 2: What are your Motivations?

After taking stock, take some time to answer questions about your motivations. The key for this step is to better understand your motivation and intention behind embarking on a learning journey to fuel your career. You can start with answering questions like so –

a. What motivates you on a personal, internal level? 
b. What are your values? 
c. What are you curious about? 

Take your time. Knowing aspects of yourself that make you who you are gives you a better picture of why and how you can engage in lifelong learning. This is where you can get an idea of why you have certain interests, and how you can make the idea or process of learning be the reward in itself.

Step 3: Identify Your Career Interests

Once you have your motivators, values, or purpose equipped, it is time to dive into the career areas you would like to develop. You would not want to spend all that effort and time just on a skill that boosts a career that is neither relevant nor of interest to you, right? 

So after assessing your own current circumstances and skills, how can you get your career interests down? 

RIASEC Test



With questions spanning different behaviours, situations, and interests, the RIASEC test will give you an overview of how you fare over the six dimensions of career interests, mentioned above. 

For example, a person who scores high in Realistic and Investigative can consider learning new skills in data analysis or process improvement – skills that combine the practical nature of Realistic interests and the pursuit of precise knowledge prominent in Investigative interests.

Want to jump in? Find out more and take a free RIASEC test here.

Step 4: Set Your Goals

Now that you have your interests and purpose on hand, you can set your learning goals with them. Establishing achievable learning goals and action plans (which we will cover later) will set the stage for the meat of your plan. For effective goals, make sure that they are – 

• Specific – Your goal includes clear desired outcomes, like sales numbers and launch dates. 
• Measurable – Your goal includes quantifiable aspects to help you measure success. 
• Achievable – Your goal considers your skills and resources to ensure achievability.  
• Relevant – Your goal is relevant to what you would like to achieve. 
• Time-Bound – Your goal has a deadline – that’s to evaluate and celebrate your wins! 

Confused? Here’s an example: 

Initial Learning Goal: I am going to switch to a career in Cybersecurity. 

Revised Learning Goal: My goal is to switch from my current job in Operations to a career in Cybersecurity. I will do so by applying for the next intake SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) in Cybersecurity Professional skills [Specific, Achievable, Relevant] and read the latest Jobs and Skills Insights report on SkillsFuture [Measurable] to look out for anymore skills gaps I can rectify by the end of the year [Time-Bound]. 

And not to worry about keeping or achieving your goals – the next step is to take action!

Step 5: Take Action! Build Habits to Maintain Your Goals

You have your purpose in mind, you know where your interests lie, and now, you even have a goal to fulfill your purpose. But what’s next? Here are some smaller steps you can take action with – 

a. Set a Timeline – Putting a practical timeline to your goal is your first step to taking action towards your goals.
b. Find an Accountability Partner – Arrange check-ins of your learning plan with your Learning & Development colleague, a counsellor, a trusted friend, or a relevant training provider can keep you on track. 
c. Diversify your Learning Sources – Bolster your knowledge with relevant books, podcasts, lectures, and educational platforms. 
d. Build Habits – All our achievements are the result of us building little actions each day. 

In James Clear’s Atomic Habits, he talks about the accountability and achievability of building better habits and how they lead to outcomes that we are looking for. A tactic he shares is tagging a habit you’ve been wanting to build (e.g. listening to lectures or podcasts) to who you are as a person, or your environment. Like so - 

I will [DESIRED BEHAVIOUR] at [TIME] and [LOCATION].

For example – I will read and study one business case study related to digital marketing an hour before I leave the house. 

Start with a single new habit to boost your learning, and see where the process takes you! Take intentional action, especially habits that suit your learning style. (Stay tuned to LLearning Bytes for our next article on Learner Types!)

Step 6: Evaluate and Update Regularly

Remember, lifelong learning is a process instead of a fixed destination. Which is why interests, motivations, and evaluating and aligning your goals with your current circumstances is important. 

Not only does regular reflection keep your learning journey in check, but it can also open further areas for growth and development. So as you reflect and evaluate your journey alongside your learning plan, here are a few tips on how you can do so – 

• Schedule regular time to reflect on your learning experiences – you can schedule them like checking in on KPIs: monthly or quarterly
• Have a journal handy so that you can jot down the benefits of your learning so far – book quotes, processes learnt from course materials, advice from coaches
• Align what you have learnt with your goals – do your activities and milestones so far bring you closer to your goals? Have you identified any knowledge gaps you would like to explore further?
• Remember to celebrate your progress! – regardless, any form of action means you have made some level of progress towards your learning goals
• If relevant, identify areas for potential development and update your plan accordingly – this can help you decide if your learning goals are still on track, relevant, or if you need to shift. 

Ultimately, it is all about embracing a growth mindset and keeping an open mind on how your career and upskilling path will be.

Step 7: Still Stuck? Here are Resources to Help

But LLearning Bytes! What if I really don’t know what learning paths or courses to take, or how to use my SkillsFuture Credits? 

If you’re still overwhelmed and need help navigating your learning journey, you can check out these resources– 

• Jobs and Skills Insights Report – If you want an overview of skills and paths in a particular industry, reports like the Jobs and Skills Insights Reports with SkillsFuture can help. Depending on the industry, look at in-demand skills, possible career paths, and organisations to approach for resources. 
• Skills Ambassadors or Career Coaches – For those who need more guidance, turning to a Skills Ambassador or Career Coach can help. One-to-one consultations allow for personalised consultation on skills gaps, mapping your learning or career journeys, and the resources to help you on your way. Apart from various paid coaches, Workforce Singapore, NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, and Lifelong Learning Institute provides complimentary career and skills advisory services. 

For a more exploratory experience, the Lifelong Learning Exploration Centre (LLEC) at Lifelong Learning Institute @ Paya Lebar also provides full-loop skills and job exploration, ending with a complimentary skills advisory session with a Skills Ambassador from Skills & Training Advisory. 

It’s the start of a new year and we hope the above will help you follow through and achieve your resolution making it your best year yet! 

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Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/warren-buffetts-525-rule-sky-high-productivity-uyiosa-osawe 
Source: https://www.myskillsfuture.gov.sg/content/portal/en/career-resources/career-resources/education-career-personal-development/finding-the-right-career-with-the-abcs-of-riasec.html 
Source: https://www.lli.sg/campus-services/lifelong-learning-exploration-centre 
Source: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/smart-goals/ 
Source: https://content.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/how-to-plan-your-career-path-a-step-by-step-guide/ 

Posted on 10/01/24