The other day at work, a co-worker of mine told me that I need to open myself up to learning new areas of my field.  This is really interesting to me because I have to say that I am really motivated to stay ahead of the curve.  So I was not really sure what he meant by this.  I took this as a reflection of his inability (and here I am being kind) to see anyone elses' point of view except for his own (and we can blog about bullying co-workers another night).

So I thought I would give a few pointers on the things I have done over the years to keep up with my industry.

1 - Read.  Someone once told me that even if you cant stand the wall street journal or NY times (and I am raising my hand very high on this one), just reading the cover will at least give you a good indication of what is going on in the market place.  I am sure the same thing can be done for any newspaper in any industry. 

2 - Take all classes that the company will give you.  And most of the time if they are in your field and will enhance your job, they might be totally free.  Potentially even courses given outside of the firm can be paid for by the company if they will improve your knowledge of your area.  These are excellent ways to keep up with an ever changing environment.  Look for classes that give details on the latest trends in your industry.

3 - Sign up for newsletters.  I have signed up for a million.  And they are great.  They give you bite size snapshots of the events of the day, usually come in the morning to get you ready for what may happen that day, and are linked to the articles so enable you to read further if necessary.  And there are definitely ones linked to any industry you are in, just go online to an industry related magazine and you should find a newsletter for you.

4 - Talk to your younger co-workers and staff.  This is the one that does not appeal to my co-worker.  But they definitely know what is going on currently in the industry and new trends, especially in technology.  These young-ins can give you a new perspective that will enhance your area.  You just have to listen to them (I am talking to you co-worker) and be open minded.

5 - Keep up with social media.  Linked In is my favorite.  This is a great site for not only connecting with co-workers and friends but also a great place to find out about industry specific classes and conferences.  If you join a group, there are loads of discussions on the latest changes, trends, and updates to your industry.  You can even join Twitter groups ( I have joined CNN's Twitter) and get their latest news and headlines.

I know as a working mom it's had to keep up with all of the changes in your field. But I am beginning to feel that working moms really have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously in any industry, and as such need to stay on the top of our game at all times.  And there is always the thought that being in the know can drive the narrow minded co-workers a little crazy (and isn't that just so much fun sometimes).