Just because school’s out doesn’t mean the learning needs to stop, for your child or for you. Valuable lessons are hidden everywhere, you just have to be on the lookout. When you’re spending quality time with your family this summer, don’t miss valuable opportunities to keep learning and growing in your career.

Here are several great lessons the team at The Wilbanks Consulting Group has learned throughout our summers.

Hard Work Pays

Work comes with rewards. This summer when the entire family is contributing more around the house, remember that work ethic is learned from a young age. Even if the tasks your family has to tackle aren’t fun, it builds character. You can apply this in the office by taking on the tasks that you don’t love and working until you’re happy with the quality, knowing that all the hard work will reap rewards.

Mistakes Happen

Mistakes are a normal part of being human. When mistakes happen this summer, don’t react in an unproductive way. Instead, use it as a learning opportunity for your kids and as a reminder for you. Back at the office, when you or your colleagues make mistakes, focus on the problem and not the person making the mistake. Identify the “why” that caused the issue versus the “who.” For example, if you fell short at the interview, focus on why you fell short – were you unprepared? Did you feel intimidated? Find the underlying problem and focus on resolving that.

Be Kind and Courteous

Courtesy is crucial to establishing and maintaining a great professional reputation. These are lessons you can instill in your children every time you are out in a public space. Encourage your family to say “thank you” and “please” and remember to model good manners as well. Teach them how to write "thank you" notes by writing them as a family for your neighbors or even your coworkers that have a personal connection with your family.

As you teach your children good manners, remember that a major criteria during the interview process is: is the applicant polite? No one wants to work with a jerk, so hiring managers will do their due diligence to make sure you’re kind, courteous, and a team player. Make sure to teach your children these lessons now so they are prepared when they’re older.

Growth Comes From Challenges

Persistence when times get tough is an extremely valuable lesson the entire family can apply throughout their lives. For example, if your kid gets frustrated when trying to complete a puzzle, don’t rush over to help them. Instead, give them encouragement and space, allowing them to figure out the solution on their own. Finding small achievable challenges helps develop problem-solving skills and growth. The same lessons can be applied in the workplace. If you’re feeling stuck in your career or have difficult coworkers, you can prevail if you have the right tools and guidance.

Summer is a great time for valuable learning lessons for everyone in the family, including you! If you’re considering a career change or just want to explore more tactics to give you a competitive edge in the workplace.