What do you do if your consulting career isn't benefiting from your continuing education achievements?

1 Assess your alignment

To ensure your continuing education achievements are aligned with your consulting goals, niche, and market, ask yourself if they are relevant to the problems you solve for clients, visible and credible to your target audience, differentiated from competitors', and up to date and in demand. If you answer no to any of these questions, it may be necessary to review your continuing education plan to ensure it supports your consulting value proposition and positioning.

2 Communicate your value

The second step is to communicate your continuing education achievements effectively to your existing and potential clients. Don't assume that they know what you've learned or how it can help them. You need to showcase your achievements in your marketing materials, such as your website, portfolio, resume, social media, and testimonials. You also need to highlight your achievements in your proposals, pitches, and conversations with clients. Use specific examples, stories, and results to demonstrate how your achievements have improved your consulting performance and outcomes.

3 Leverage your network

The third step is to leverage your network to amplify your continuing education achievements and generate more opportunities. You can seek feedback and recommendations from those who know your expertise, connect with other consultants who can collaborate with you on projects, reach out to existing clients who may have additional needs, and expand your prospect pool by finding new clients. Doing this can help you gain recognition for your achievements and provide beneficial solutions to those who are looking for them.

4 Keep learning

The fourth step is to keep learning and updating your continuing education achievements. Consulting is a dynamic and competitive industry, so staying on top of trends, challenges, and opportunities in your niche is essential to maintaining credibility and relevance. To do this, you should follow the best practices of your certifications and degrees, take advantage of the resources from continuing education providers, and seek new learning opportunities like conferences and mentorships. Continuing education is a valuable investment for your consulting career; however, it's not enough to just acquire achievements. You must make them work for you by aligning them with your goals, communicating them to clients, leveraging them through your network, and keeping them fresh and relevant. By doing so, you can boost your consulting career and reap the rewards of your continuing education accomplishments.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?