Milady Training

Read Time: 4 Minutes
Expertise Area: All Career Fields
Career Stage: All Career Stages

Expert Career Advice ➜ Building a Future ➜ Why Continuing Education Is Important

Did you know the amount of money you earn is directly linked to the amount of education you have? Yes; the more you know, the more you earn. Expand your perspective and consider education comes in many forms not only to improve your craft, but to increase your earning potential.

Once you finish school and attain licensure, you will be required by some states to take continuing education classes to renew your license. This ensures you stay current with the latest in safety and sanitation as well updating both your soft and technical skills. Not every state requires continuing education for licensure renewal; check with your state board to see if you have to meet certain requirements. Those that do require CE have their own rules on what constitutes an appropriate class for continuing education.

Even if your state does not have continuing education requirements, it is in your best interest to continuing learning and growing throughout your career. Here’s why.

Education is Never Wasted

If you are not learning, you’re not growing, professionally as well as personally. Continuing education is not something to put on the back burner for a later time. Learning is essential to your development as a professional and as a human. Our brains love it when we are learning; it’s how we form new neuro networks and expand our awareness. It is how we stay young, motivated, and inspired. If you find yourself in a rut or burned out, take a class to open your eyes and shift your perspective.

Learning can also help you advance your career. If you want to get promoted, move into platform work, or raise your prices, you have to elevate your skills to reflect the advancement you seek. That’s where continuing education comes in. Be strategic in the classes you select. Find classes that resonate with you and will help you advance your career.

An Investment in Your Future

The sooner you invest in continuing education, the sooner you begin to develop better daily habits of success. A professional who has taken the time to pursue continuing education will advance faster and farther in their career than someone sitting on the sidelines waiting to be taught a lesson.

The great news is that with the advancement of technology and the unlimited amount of resources to further your education, your career is in the palm of your hands. Things like online classes, video tutorials, and even corporate lectures are available anytime. These are things you can do on your own. A career will never be a job if it's something you love, and by continuing to educate yourself long after you leave school, you are putting yourself in a position today to help better your tomorrow.

Knowledge is Power

Learning is the secret sauce to making everything in life more interesting. How boring is it when all we know is what we know and nothing else? If you don’t have a good relationship with learning, possibly due to overbearing teachers, a learning disability, or trauma from drama, it’s time to make amends and begin acquiring additional knowledge and skills.

Choosing The Right Continuing Education For You

When selecting the right continuing education for you, think about what skills you need to develop to reach the next level of your career. Did you know 80% of your success is based on your proficiency in soft skills? How you communicate, organize yourself, and handle conflict all play into your overall success. Continuing education is a great resource to help you develop and hone these skills. Every year commit to taking at least three classes, and if they are CE state approved, all the better. To get the most out of your time, consider taking 1-1-1, one class to elevate your technical skills, one class to elevate your soft skills, and one class to improve your business acumen.

Embrace knowledge and learn to love learning. When you crave education and you're open to it, it can make great things happen for you. Too many talented beauty and wellness professionals burn out because they are closed off to learning anything new and pushing their skills to the next level. Don’t let that happen to you!