4 Ways You Can Develop as a Professional and Hone Your Skills

Are you among the 76 percent of workers looking for career growth opportunities?

What are you doing to prepare yourself for these opportunities? Lack of professional development is a primary cause of career dissatisfaction among most workers.

If you aren’t climbing the proverbial career ladder, it’s easy to blame your employer. While employers have a responsibility to provide professional development opportunities, for the most part, it’s your responsibility to up-skill yourself.

There are a number of practical steps you can take to develop as a professional. Read on for expert insight.

1. Draw Up Professional Development Goals

Nothing ever gets done with goals and a plan. Professional development is no different.

Start by establishing what you want to achieve in your professional life. Perhaps you want to rise to the top management in your organization. Or maybe you want to start your own company. Maybe you even want to get into public service and run for office.

Regardless of your profession, knowing where you want to go is the key to getting there. From here, you can develop a practical plan, laying out timelines and milestones. This way, it’s to know when you’re falling behind schedule and make the necessary adjustments.

2. Take Professional Development Courses

Pursuing professional development courses is an effective way to update your knowledge and occupational skills.

These courses can vary depending on your career. If you’re a business manager, for example, and your highest level of training is a bachelor’s degree, it’s a no-brainer that you need to pursue an MBA.

Professional development courses can also come in the form of graduate certifications, seminars, and training workshops. Lean Six Sigma courses are also ideal, especially if you want to adopt the Lean Six Sigma methodology of running an organization.

3. Join Professional Associations

Professional associations provide multiple development opportunities for their members.

If you’re a real estate agent, for example, the National Association of Realtors is your perfect home. You’ll gain access to professional development courses and certifications, as well as attend events where you can meet and network with other professionals in your industry.

Joining a professional association also improves your statures and demonstrates your professionalism.

4. Take on Voluntary Positions at Work

Your workplace can provide opportunities for you to develop professionally. They don’t always have to come in the form of promotions. Sometimes they are voluntary positions.

Doing voluntary work for your employer doesn’t sound like the best way to spend your time, but it’s worth it when you think of it in terms of professional development.

Let’s say you want to become a manager. How will you learn management skills if you won’t volunteer to learn a team or fill in for a manager who is absent?

Take Steps to Develop as a Professional

Your professional life is a journey. If you want to go all the way to the end, you have to be proactive. Taking steps to develop as a professional, whether that be going back to college, attending workshops, or joining professional associations, is the fuel you need to get there.

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