Professional development describes the process of acquiring new skills and industry knowledge in order to improve your career.
This process can involve taking courses or workshops, becoming officially certified in a skill or field, being mentored by a more experienced peer, or attending industry events and conferences.
In many cases, employers will offer professional growth opportunities to their employees, by either hosting optional classes and workshops, or by providing a budget that can be used to purchase courses, workshops, or similar items.
When this isn’t available, you can choose to pursue these career advancement opportunities independently.
What are the Aims of Professional Development?
Professional development is about career growth and self-improvement. It varies from person to person, but usually the aim of professional development is to:
- Boost your own confidence in your skills by solidifying your knowledge
- Improve your credibility in your industry through certifications and peer-approved accreditation
- Develop your leadership skills to help you climb the corporate ladder into more senior positions
- Increase your efficiency in your current role by learning new techniques or improving existing skills
- Facilitate networking and forge connections with others in your industry
- Keep your skills and knowledge current and up-to-date with the latest trends
- Enable you to be the best employee you can be in current and future roles
- Aid you in accomplishing your long-term career aspirations by helping you grow as a professional
Employers also benefit from professional development. It’s been shown that employers who offer learning and development opportunities to their employees have improved retention rates and attract more talent.
It’s also cheaper to upskill than hire, meaning that employers that offer professional development opportunities save money in the long-term.
Importantly, it’s also reflective of the competency of any employer – keeping employees up-to-date with their training is a crucial part of how many businesses operate.
Why is it Important to Continue Developing Your Professional Skills and Knowledge?
Professional skills and knowledge development is key to achieving long-term career growth. Regardless of your industry or role, the landscape of it is in a constant state of change. Best practices evolve, trends come and go, and new knowledge emerges.
That means without professional development, the skills and knowledge you entered the workforce with will quickly become out-of-date, and you’ll fall behind your peers who do invest in their career growth.
Professional development builds new skills and knowledge, keeps you up-to-date with industry trends and changes, and opens up new career opportunities. It also improves employability, as hiring teams often look to official certifications and accreditations as a way of separating good candidates from great ones.
What is the impact of professional development?
Overall, professional development has a positive impact on your career prospects, both in your current role and any future positions.
Professional development can help you earn promotions, raises in pay, and credibility in your company. In turn, this will help your employability should you look to change jobs in the future.
What are the 5 Ps of Professional Development?
The 5Ps of professional development are a framework you can use to help you structure and prioritize your learning, helping you stay on track and build your career. Keep each of these pillars in mind as you decide whether to take a course, attend a conference, or get certified in a skill.
If doing it doesn’t advance your goals for these pillars, then there might be a better option for your career growth.
Purpose: Why do you want to advance your career? Why do you want to improve your industry skills and knowledge? Having the answers to these questions will keep you motivated and on track with your development.
Personal Brand: This is how people in your industry know you. Where do you specialise? In what areas can you advise others? Focusing on these aspects can help you become a respected, authoritative voice in your industry.
People: Community is one of the biggest drivers of growth. Do you have a network of peers you can bounce ideas with? Have you developed mutually supportive relationships with others in your industry? Surrounding yourself with positive people and embracing community is a surefire way of growing your career network.
Performance: What level are your skills and knowledge at now? How much do you need to improve them to take the next step in your career? Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you hone in on your key improvement opportunities.
Plan: What is your professional development strategy? Without a plan to bring the other four pillars together, you risk straying off course and not upskilling in the areas you truly need to propel your career.
What does professional development training look like?
There are a wealth of options when it comes to professional development. From courses, workshops, and webinars, to networking conferences, mentorship, and industry events, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to growing your career.
All of the above (and more) can contribute to your professional development if you leverage them in a strategic way.
Is training done in-person or online?
Many professional development courses are taken entirely in-person, in a classroom, while many others can be completed entirely online – some can offer a combination of the two experiences.
Online formats generally offer greater convenience, as they allow for more flexibility to fit study around your work and personal commitments. In-person courses are a great two-in-one, mixing learning with networking opportunities.
Be sure to do your research before committing to a course to ensure you are able to commit the time (and money), and establish whether the course is a good fit for your learning style and professional goals.
How long do professional development courses take?
The length of a professional development program is another thing that varies widely, with courses usually designed around a certain number of instructional hours.
Larger, more comprehensive courses may require you to commit to 2-3 sessions per week over an extended period of time such as 48 weeks, while others are self-paced and can be completed in a few short days.
Usually, you are required to undergo this training outside of your work hours, but company-assigned professional development courses may get factored into your work day instead.
CPD and Accredited Courses
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. This is a process designed for people who are already in a professional role, enabling them to build, maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills. It helps employees plan their development, review things already learned, and evaluate where they’re at in their career to date.
In many professions, a commitment to CPD is fundamental to demonstrating one’s validity and competence as a professional. There is a strong focus on results when it comes to CPD – it aims to measure the benefits of professional development in your real-world employment. An individual’s CPD is all about them as a unique employee.
As a working professional, you must keep track of your professional development activities on a CPD record form. It must be correct and up-to-date at all times and comply with the requirements of your professional body/association.
These records list the learning outcomes and the ways the knowledge obtained is practically applied. Most institutes whose members have professional development requirements will be prescribed a minimum number of hours to complete per year. Sometimes, these hours are converted to points, credits or units.
CPD-accredited courses are independently verified, ensuring they meet specific quality standards that align with CPD best practices.
Funding your professional development
It isn’t always easy to find the funds to pay for a professional development course you want to take, especially if your company doesn’t offer a dedicated learning and development budget. If you have identified a program but you can’t afford it, you could try approaching your manager to request the funding.
To increase your chances of success, consider the following:
- Do your homework: If you get a meeting with your manager, make sure you go in well-prepared. Make a plan for how your workload will be covered should you need to be absent.
- Step into your manager’s shoes: They will be thinking about both the cost and the management of your workload while you’re absent. You need to convince them it is an investment, and that you can arrange the cover during your absence.
- Demonstrate the business benefits: You need to convince the company that your professional development will benefit them. Show them how your new skills will help the organisation.
Owning your professional development
Professional development should not be viewed as a chore that you have to do because your manager tells you to – rather, it’s an opportunity for you to grow and excel in your professional career.
With a bit of legwork, you can equip yourself with knowledge and skills that will boost your career and improve your standing in your industry.
Human beings thrive on growth and progression, but the price we pay for these things is hard work. The best approach is to have a hunger for development, and the work will feel fulfilling, rather than a chore.
