How to Build a Useful Lifelong Learning Plan in 2025

"Where do you see yourself in five years' time?" is often asked by well-meaning managers and interviewers. But how useful is this question in planning your professional development and lifelong learning?

Five years ago, we were travelling into the office each day without terms such as "Teams calls", "hybrid work" or "ChatGPT" in our vocabulary. Very few of us imagined a world where working from home would be commonplace or where we had access to multiple and free generative AI tools to help us complete our work more efficiently.

This is not a new issue. 10 years ago, in his plenary presentation at the 2015 Actuaries Summit, I recall Fred Rowley encouraging actuaries to disregard the common phrase "good things come to those who wait" and embrace the phrase "good things come to those who are prepared". Fred's advice stayed with me and has helped me navigate several career pivots.

So, how can we "be prepared" and future-proof our careers in this rapidly evolving world and workplace? How can we build a robust plan for our lifelong learning?

Is lifelong learning just a fancy term for CPD?

Our Professional Standard 1 (PS 1) says:

CPD may be conventionally seen as a compliance exercise. However, with a little planning, engaging in meaningful lifelong learning activities will help you meet your CPD obligations while building critical skills to be prepared for future opportunities and challenges in your career.

A three-step plan for your professional development

To build a meaningful lifelong learning plan, it helps to regularly set aside some time to consider your career aspirations, learning goals and activities. By investing in developing your professional toolkit, you are more likely to be prepared to take on opportunities and tackle challenges as they arise.

The details of your lifelong learning plan will be unique to you and will require judgement based on factors such as your role, career stage and career aspirations.

PS 1 states: "CPD needs differ between Members and across the career of an individual. Therefore, a Member must exercise his or her judgment regarding the activities that he or she undertakes to develop his or her personal and professional skills."

Whether you are working towards qualification, newly qualified, mid-career or nearing (or enjoying) retirement, here is a simple three-step plan to help you build a meaningful lifelong learning plan.

1. Define your learning goals

Attending a conference or enrolling in a qualification subject will meet your CPD requirements for the year, but will these activities be enough to help you reach your career goals?

The first step in building a meaningful lifelong learning plan is to consider what you want or need to learn this year. Would you like to build knowledge, skills or tools to help you in your current role, or help you prepare for a future role? Do you need to expand your network or build your personal brand?

You might find it useful to consider each of the three domains of the lifelong learning ecosystem: professionalism & ethics, technical skills & knowledge and non-technical skills. Which of these areas suggest opportunities for your learning plan this year?

Whatever your learning goals, make them specific and write them down. 

2. Identify learning activities

Next, determine which activities will help you achieve your goals. While our qualification process may condition us to associate professional learning with passing exams, lifelong learning involves thinking more broadly about available learning options.

Consider your preferred learning style and any practical constraints before selecting the best learning options. Would you prefer:

For each of your learning goals, assign at least one learning activity that will help you achieve that goal.

3. Determine achievement measures

Have you ever attended a poorly designed workshop or let a webinar play in the background while preparing lunch? If so, you'll know that registering for an event doesn't always translate to learning something.

Attending a conference will attract CPD points, but it may not help you meet your individual learning goals unless you connect the experience with your goals.

Unlike qualification exams, lifelong learning activities don't always have a clear achievement measure. Consider how you will assess whether you have reached your learning goals.

If your learning activity comes with a defined measure of achievement, e.g., passing a final assessment, this will be clear. But if not, document your goals for skill, proficiency and timeframe. For example:

• 'Able to write code independently by June';
• 'More confident leading my team by year end';
• 'Able to use three different generative AI tools for at least one of my regular work tasks by April'; or
• 'Familiar with ChatGPT by the end of 2025, and able to confidently use Gen AI in my work by the end of 2026'.

Setting an expected achievement measure can help you stay focused while you are engaging in lifelong learning, and help you know when you've reached your goal.

Where will you be in five years' time?

Wherever you are in your career, from student through to retirement, take some time to build and review your lifelong learning plan each year.

By considering what you want to learn, determining your preferred learning activities and setting achievement measures, you will engage in meaningful lifelong learning experiences that will help you meet your CPD requirements as well as future-proofing your career.

So, where could you be in five years' time? What lifelong learning activities will you undertake in 2025 to be prepared?

Track your learning journey with the CPD Hub

To help you track your professional development journey and meet your CPD requirements, the Actuaries Institute provides members with access to the CPD Hub and dashboard.

This convenient online tool allows you to efficiently record and monitor your CPD activities throughout the year, to help you comply with Professional Standard 1 while pursuing your meaningful learning goals.

Whether you're tracking points from reading Actuaries Digital articles, attending events, or engaging in self-directed learning, the CPD Hub simplifies maintaining your professional development records.

Visit the Actuaries Institute website to access the CPD Hub and start managing your lifelong learning journey today.

References

^[1] Professional Standard 1: Professional Standard 1 Continuing Professional Development January 2020