The world is already moving towards direct acquisition of skills and away from credentials. Companies are increasingly okay with self-learned, skilled employees that get the job done.

Self-learning is about goals and the meaning you derive out of your work, though it can also work without a goal, only for self-satisfaction.

Self-learning (also known as autodidacticism) is useful for certification (and fine-tuning) of your existing skills, to be able to learn continuously, and for the cultivation of your curiosity.