Your Professional Development How to Get the Most Out of It - CareerEnlightenment.com

Your Professional Development How to Get the Most Out of It Whether you’ve just graduated and have landed your dream job,or have beenin the same career fora number ofyears, one way to keep yourself motivated andmovingforward istotrulytake charge of your own professional development.Ideally, you’d like your employer to be responsible formaintainingyour knowledge, keeping youup to date and teaching younewskills. Unfortunately, this isn’t often the case.If youwant to developyour career or explorenew avenues when they present themselves,you need to expand your knowledge and skills.The job market is, understandably,a very competitive one,sothe need to invest in yourself is all the more urgent.There are many different ways you can gain new knowledge, andit doesn’t necessarily mean you have to ditch your day job and head back to college.Luckily,thereare some tipsbelowto help you make the most of yourownprofessional development.What Does it Mean?Professional developmentrefers to the acquisition of skills and knowledgefor both personalgrowtha nd career advancement.Taking charge of yourownpersonal developmentmeans your capabilities will keep pacewiththe current standardsin the industry you’re working in and ensure you have the knowledge and skills necessary for delivering a professional service.You’ll be more in tune with the latest trends and advancements.What’s more, focusing on your professional development also helps you to stay interested and interesting.With increased knowledge and newskills,you’ll be able to take advantage ofexciting opportunities.There are a variety of optionsyou canexploreonce you’vedecided on your professional development goals.Setting Your Professional Development GoalsThe purpose of yourgoals is to ensure you’re moving forward in your career. Setting new goalsandmaking a plan for how you’re going to achieve themmeans you’re creating a path to success. But how can you besureyou’resettingthe right goals in the first place?•What do You Want to Accomplish?To start thegoal-setti ngprocess,you need to think about where you are now and where you’d like to see yourself in the future.Don’t just think about the companies you want to work for or the type of job you’d like to do. Considerhow your skills and knowledge will be able to help other people or benefit the local or global economy.By answering these questions,you will be able to see thebigger picture andidentify your work values.•Create a Long-Term GoalOnce you’ve determined yourvalues,you’ll be able toset a long-term goal for yourself.Long-term means more than a few years and provides you with ample opportunity tomakeadjustmentsas you go.Try not to be toogeneralbecause detail will help to narrow your focus.•Create a Series of Mini-GoalsTo keep you motivated and workinghardtowardsthelong-termgoal,you need tobreak it down into smaller goals.Be as precise and detailed as possiblewith adefinitetimeframe.Thesemini-goals have to be measurable, attainable and realistic.Break these down into steps,a ndyou’ll be able to create an action plan for reaching your long-term goal.Once you’ve determined your long and short-termgoals,you can look into the variety of options available for your continued professional development. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. 6Options for Achieving Your Professional Development GoalsLearning can be a lifelong processif you want it to be!Gaining new knowledge and skillsdon’tnecessarily have to take place in a classroom.There are many different ways you canincrease yourknowledge, including:•Take an Online CourseThanks to the internet and technology it’s possible to gain access to almost every kind of educational material in the form of an online course. You can learna new skill or gain a recognized qualification without having to give up your day job or travel to a University or college.Whether you want to learnfrom an experthow to design a website, orstudy for an online MBA from this University in Australia,the sky’s the limit. There are thousands of e-learning platforms and courses you can access from yourownliving room. It’sall down to you whether you choose something that is relevant to your professional development goals orsomethingcompletelynew.•Take Advantage of Free Online ResourcesIf you’ve got the willingness to learn,the internet is a fabulous resource.There’san infiniteamount of information available with just a few clicks.There are articles,eBooks,guides and how-to’s on almost every subject you can thinkof.Download as much as you want and read it in your free time. Another benefit of using the internet is that you can look for help and advice from others.For example,there are manyonline forumsyou can joinif you want to discuss a particular issue withexpertsin your field.•Look for a Ment orThere are people you can approach if you want help with your learning.Amentoris a person with moreexpertizeor experience in the area you’re looking to progressin. They can be asignificantsupport when you’re feeling lost or stuck. Finding the right kind of mentor iseasier than you think, andan excellentplace to start is yourownnetwork.If you can’tfindsomeone to mentor you,then look for online communities and forums. These may be able to offer guidance.Plus, there are a surprising number of people who are only too happy to share their knowledge with someone like you who is eager to learn new things.•Training Seminars and WorkshopsThe internet hasn’t taken over completely,andthere are stillhands-on events you can attend. Attending seminars and workshops willincrease your knowledge,butit will also bring you into contact with other like-minded people, therebyexpanding yournetwork.Look to your local community and check whether there are anyinterestingevents taking place. It ma kes a pleasant change to step away from your computer screen andsocialize with other people.•Learn by Your MistakesYes,we all make them,andthere’s nothing to be embarrassed about, as long as you learn from those mistakes.There are oftenveryvaluablelessons to learn from the wrong decisionsyou might have made. Failure is part and parcel of your professional and personal developmentso don’t beat yourself up! Instead, think about what your mistakes have taught you and see whether you can make any improvements.•Job ShadowingIf you’re not quite sureabout your future goals but are curious about variousroles,you could consider job shadowing.It can be a great way to learn more about the differentpositionsin the company you’re currently workingin.You might need to discuss this kind of opportunity with your manager or human resourcesofficerasit could be a relatively new concept to them.It’s never too late to start investing in yourself. Take note of the tips above,andyou’ll soo n find yourself head and shoulders above those in your company thatareless motivated than you.It won’t take long for your managers to notice the amount of work and effort you’re putting in,and you’llbe providedwith opportunities for climbing the ladder.If these opportunities don’t come yourway,there’s nothing to stop you taking your knowledge and skills elsewhere! Knowing that it’s all down to you to develop yourself is the first step to take. Once you realize this,your options are endless.