What do you do if your career development in workplace safety is not impacted by continuing education?

If continuing education isn't advancing your career in workplace safety, consider diversifying your skill set, seeking new opportunities within or outside your organization, and networking to expand your professional connections. Demonstrate leadership, seek feedback, and explore cross-functional roles to showcase your value and drive career growth. Additionally, stay informed about industry trends and consider pursuing advanced degrees or certifications to stay competitive in the field. By taking proactive steps and adapting to evolving circumstances, you can overcome career development challenges and continue advancing in workplace safety.

If continuing education isn't impacting your career development in workplace safety, consider seeking additional certifications or specialized training, expanding your network within the industry, taking on challenging projects to demonstrate expertise, and exploring opportunities for advancement in related fields or organizations.

Establish personal professional development goals. For me after 10 years in the profession, the PSM standard rolled out (yes I'm old). I was kind of at a crossroads in my career so I set out to do two things; Go beyond safety program management by direct report leadership, and also becoming involved with PSM programs. The later of which became immediate immersion. It was a wonderful challenge that sparked sort of a second career surge providing additional skills that few safety professionals obtained. This happened again later in my career when environmental program management was added as well. If you are learning, challenged, and engaged you can move forward and upward increasing your marketability. Thrive rather than survive.

Diversify your skill set but stay in the general area that you are comfortable with. Talk with your HR and or the people in your organization that do contract bidding and see what other qualifications clients are looking for that you might add to your area of knowledge.

Buscar orienta??o pode fornecer orienta??o e apoio enquanto você navega em sua carreira em seguran?a do trabalho. Um mentor com experiência na área pode oferecer conselhos, ajudá-lo a identificar oportunidades de crescimento e apresentá-lo aos principais contatos do setor. N?o hesite em entrar em contato com potenciais mentores; Muitos profissionais est?o dispostos a compartilhar seus conhecimentos e ajudar outros a ter sucesso.

One of the most important predictors of career and life success is your soft skills. Research has long shown that about 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills, while only about 25% depends on technical knowledge. For this reason, it is necessary to develop soft skills, along with technical skills and practical experience to reach your maximum potential in the competitive arena.

Individuals with a diverse skillset can bring a fresh perspective and contribute to multiple areas of the business. Individuals with a diverse skillset can be valuable assets in roles such as project managers or team leaders, where they can oversee and contribute to multiple areas of a project. Possessing a diverse skillset can be a significant advantage in today’s job market. It can increase adaptability, creativity, job satisfaction, and earning potential. Furthermore, individuals with diverse skillsets can be valuable assets to employers, contributing to multiple areas of a business. As the job market continues to evolve, individuals who develop a diverse skillset will be better positioned to succeed and advance their careers.

Mentorship seeking is critical however, I recommend extending the search beyond the borders of SHE. From a business perspective, there are numerous things you can glean from professionals adjacent to the safety side of things. Safety first, but professional always. The value add exists in many places, we just have to be willing to seek it out with purpose.

Mentorship is key and finding mentors in different disciplines each with overlap into EHS is also extremely useful in helping you advance because it gives you a bigger perspective and greater potential influence. Understanding the distinctions between EHS, IH, risk management, workers compensation, claims management and how they all work together gives you a more powerful and marketable perspective. This allows you to contribute by promoting solutions among each of these interconnected domains.

From career contacts to career satisfaction, mentorship has a lot to offer. But, it's of utmost importance that mentees remember and treat mentorship as a guiding relationship and not a fail-safe. In other words, a mentor is not someone who can take decisions on your behalf. They can help you align your career track or improve your career outcomes, but they can't do your job. Nor should they be held responsible for your mistakes. Or tasked with taking on your responsibilities. To give an example, a mentor can give you the right tools to improve your communication skills, but you will have to put in the effort and practice those skills.?

Pursuing certification is one of the most important personal projects a safety professional can begin. Certification advances knowledge, status and credibility. They set you apart in a number of ways but for the most part, they reveal a level of dedication and to the craft.

Exploring and expanding your knowledge is always helpful and beneficial. Independent research outside of your workplace helps you to better under the information and you may find more options when you look for yourself.

Take on personal projects or initiatives related to workplace safety. This could involve conducting research, developing training programs, or implementing new safety protocols within your organization. Not only will this demonstrate your initiative and commitment to professional development, but it can also generate tangible results that enhance your credibility and reputation within the field.

Taking a look back and a look within will help identify some key factors in your development. First, it’ll require a level of honesty and a willingness to grow beyond the borders of normalcy in your life. For me, I needed to take a look within to see that my efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy were not translating personally. I was overworked, overwhelmed and restless but passionately preaching “health” to workers. This was a damaging pattern that had to change in order for me to keep enjoying the industry and life in general. Be up to the challenge of change in your own life. Reflect and do it often.

Take time to reflect on your experiences and continuously strive for improvement. Set aside time for self-assessment, identify areas for growth, and develop action plans to address them. Engaging in reflective practice can help you identify opportunities for learning and development, even if formal continuing education is not readily available or impactful.

Ask yourself open-ended questions:?Start off by asking yourself?open-ended questions?that will prompt self-reflection, such as: “Am I doing what makes me happy?” “Are there things I’d like to improve about myself?” or “What could I have done differently today?” “Am I taking anything or anyone for granted?” Notice what thoughts & feelings arise within you for each question and then begin to think about why. Be curious about yourself and be open to whatever comes up. Think of your time in self-reflection as a safe space within yourself.?Practice neutrality and self-compassion so that self-reflection is a positive experience that you will want to do regularly. It’s important to dedicate time to self-reflection and build it into your routine.

Manter-se a par das tendências do setor é crucial na seguran?a do trabalho. Os regulamentos e as melhores práticas est?o em constante evolu??o, e ter conhecimento sobre essas mudan?as pode diferenciá-lo. Leia publica??es comerciais, siga líderes de opini?o nas mídias sociais e participe de webinars para se manter atualizado. Sua capacidade de antecipar e se adaptar aos novos protocolos de seguran?a pode torná-lo um ativo indispensável para sua organiza??o.

Pursue relevant certifications or credentials in workplace safety. Obtaining certifications such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Occupational Health and Safety Technician (OHST), or Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) can demonstrate your expertise and commitment to the field. Stay curious and proactive in seeking out opportunities for growth and development. This could involve attending workshops, webinars, or seminars on specific topics of interest, etc. Invest in developing your leadership skills, even if you are not in a leadership position. Effective leadership is crucial in the field of workplace safety, as it involves inspiring and motivating others to prioritize safety and adhere to established protocols.