Have Knowledge You Can Be Proud Of
The internet is full of information. It is also full of porn, useless drivel and scam artists. However, if you use the internet like it should be used, it can be tremendously advantageous to you.
Very successful people use the internet as their focus group, marketing tool, personal library and online university. Of course you can educate yourself through reputable online college courses, but that is not what I am talking about here. There are a plethora of resources that are not used as often as they should that provide invaluable information.
Through blogs (both personal and corporate), chat rooms, webinars, podcasts and e-newsletters, you can most definitely collect a significant amount of information about any subject. In addition, Twitter, Facebook and all the other social sites can always find the ones you missed. Because I guarantee you there are ones you missed. I have found the following resources in my field that continually contribute to my education. (These are just a few that I listen/read. There are too many to count)
- Ted.com
- American Marketing Association Podcasts (it fits me because I am a marketing guy)
- AuthorTeleseminars.com
- WNYC’s Radio Lab Podcast
So, if you want to continue to educate yourself (and I hope you do), you must first decide what it is you want to learn. Typically, you would want to keep current on trends and current developments in your industry. This way you can advance your career to make it more fun and rewarding while increasing your salary. And who doesn’t want that?
I read an article recently concerning Copyright Law. Now if this is a subject that interests you, you may follow William Patry who is (apparently) well known to the nation’s intellectual property lawyers. He has a widely popular blog called the Patry Copyright Blog, which garners quite a bit of attention and consistently engages others that are interested in the subject. He was just featured in Forbes magazine and has written several books on the subject including his latest, Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars. I, personally, am not into copyright law, but William is. My point is there is so much information on the internet about a infinite amount of subjects that cater to every career, hobby and industry. It surprises me that people would find copyright law interesting, but there is and this is a good example. (no offense to copyright attorneys out there!) I can also guarantee there is an online community somewhere that specializes in very obscure sports, hobbies and interests that caters to their small community of followers.
So, start using the internet to find the subjects you want and soak in all that knowledge. It is worth it.