By Louise Bauer Davoli
Are you starting to feel stale and repetitive at work?
Keeping the job novel and staying relevant in your career can be a challenge.
KMPH
Community Correspondent and leadership coach Louise Bauer Davoli explains how
career planning and professional development can help address some of these
challenges.
Professional
development usually refers to the skills required for continuation of a
specific career path or to general skills offered through continuing
education. Increasing the competency and
effectiveness of employees is usually the motivating issue behind a company's
decision to offer or require professional development. Professional development may also include
general skills such as personal development. It can be seen as training to keep current with changing technology and
practices in a profession or in the concept of lifelong learning.
The
path to keeping it fresh and enhancing performance is your willingness to keep
on learning. When facing a challenge or
simply wanting to grow, those individuals who are willing to make the necessary
changes seek new information and ideas look awfully fresh and engaging. Learning in the workplace is increasingly key
to career viability, for the shifts in the structure and shape of jobs will
require you to cultivate new skills throughout your career. The pace with which change occurs will demand
that you approach your career as a series of progressive learning experiences,
mastering new technologies and advancements.
Keeping it Fresh:
- Requires learning
- Try a different way of doing things
- Build a community
- Use technology, podcasts, blogs and websites
Be a
community builder and get involved with connecting and networking with
others in your field. Be a dedicated
participant in maintaining the well-being of
your work life. Network with other
people who do work related to yours, attend events when possible, and join
professional associations, conferences, and training both to learn and to meet
people.
Electronic
relationships are excellent ways to network. With YouTube, meet up.com and blog sites covering just about any topic
under the sun, it is much easier today to connect and cultivate a community
beyond your geographic location.
In a broad sense,
professional development may include formal types of vocational education,
typically post secondary or technical training leading to qualification or a
credential required to get or retain employment. Informal or individualized programs of
professional development may also include the concept of coaching.
Whatever your occupation,
keep up to date with changes in your field and keep a wide network of friends
and associates in related jobs.
