Most people graduate from university and move on to start a career in an industry they are not particularly too excited about. Some spend over a decade before they decide that it is not where they want to be, and then they panic and begin to worry about starting over. Fear can act as a strong motivator to aim for something great or worse, bring about total failure.

The ambitious one will seek out a career path of their own choosing and decide to become the best in their field. Being the best means putting in that extra effort that the majority of people are reluctant to do. One obvious way to become the best is by continuing with more education – a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, PhD, industry certification, etc.

The other way, which is easy and more affordable, is through self-education. Today, a lot of programmers take web development courses online from the comfort of their home. So do writers and many other professionals. Not only are these convenient, they also help you earn extra money on the side.

It is also a great way to test a new career path without risking the jump only to realise that is also not a good fit. Companies like E-Careers can provide you with a platform to learn and test your skills. With thousands of educators and millions of students, you can learn any subject no matter where you are in the world, and build a career out of it.

Here are ways of learning through self-education:

Take Online Courses

Many websites offer online courses in various subjects. Some of these courses are free while others are paid. Building skills have never been easier to acquire as it is today. Pick a subject of interest and learn as much as you can through these sites. Through self-pacing and self-practice, you can become very skilled in your field without having to pay a lot of money. The best thing about online courses is that you can revisit the lessons repeatedly as opposed to conventional classes where when you leave the class, it’s over, that lesson is gone.

Read books about your industry

Over 200,000 books are published annually in the UK alone, some of which are self-published by the authors. Find books that are relevant to your field that were written by industry professionals. Apply the principles and wisdom shared in those books. Just like online courses, you can revisit your book and re-read years later. Research shows that reading one book a month for a decade can dramatically improve one’s knowledge to match that of a professional. This means that by simply reading one book a month, you can become one of the best in your field in a span of 10 years.

Get a mentor

Mentors are a gift. Nothing is new under the sun. There is always someone who has gone through what you are going through. Find them and learn from them. There is no need to go through the same things they did. The right mentor will guide you into being the best just as they are. Mentors like to have a prodigy whom they consider a friend. Befriending one is a sure, easy, and affordable way to reach the top.

Being the best in your field is not an easy task. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment. But it is very achievable in a short period of time – in this case, 10 years. Apply these affordable ways to your field to enjoy a career boost within the next decade.