Taking Control of Your Professional Development

Company-sponsored professional development and training programs can be great, but there are many more options to take control of your own continuing education. It is important to stay on top of emerging trends, new skills, and best practices in your field, especially if you plan to launch a job search or vie for a promotion in the near future.

Professional development, certifications, and courses are also important if you are trying to change careers or grow into a role you’ve not held before. This can help bridge the skills gap between your current experience and where you’re trying to go. 

How to Get Started:

Making a plan and working through professional development and training with a specific goal in mind will be a much more effective use of your time and investment than taking random courses. 

Think about what courses, certifications, or skills would be most beneficial to you in your career or to help you get to the next level. You can get inspiration from:

Looking up ideal job descriptions to see what certifications or skills are required.

Searching for other professionals on LinkedIn who are already in your ideal roles (or in similar roles to yours currently) to see what training and certifications they’ve completed.

Where to Find Training Options:

The good news is, there are many ways to find high-quality courses and programs for almost any industry and most are offered online. 

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