Maximizing Your Potential - A Guide to Professional Development
Ways to help you grow professionally
A word on professional development
We can all agree that growth is in our human nature, and that is why we are constantly seeking ways to improve ourselves and evolve. Today I wanted to share with you some ideas regarding professional development and why it’s so essential for us to always keep looking for new opportunities to grow.
In order to evolve professionally, you need to learn from mistakes, pay attention in order to understand better what can be improved, and start to invest in yourself, in your career plan, and in your professional development.
So what is professional development?! The willingness to gain new skills through continuing education and career training. It can include taking classes or workshops, attending professional or industry conferences, or earning a certificate to expand your knowledge in your chosen field.
Professional development can be instrumental in growing a stronger team. Here at OceanoBe, I found an environment that encourages individuals to seek out professional development opportunities, which in turn results in greater confidence in one’s work, higher job satisfaction, better performance, productivity, and overall morale.
There are many benefits to growing professionally but the most important one is the potential to open opportunities for career advancement, it can help you develop existing skills, but also learn new ones.
Benefits of professional development
- It expands your knowledge base
The opportunities for professional development and continuing education are beneficial to both young and experienced professionals alike, by exposing yourself to new ideas, enabling you to solidify your knowledge, and increasing experience in your field. Of course, we can talk about the expansion of knowledge both vertically and horizontally. - Confidence and credibility
Through professional development, professionals' competence will grow as well as your confidence in your work. It's never a pleasant thought to think that you lack skills in your industry. Through continuous education, training, and development courses, professionals acquire new skills and designations while building confidence and credibility. - Networking opportunities
Many professional development opportunities such as workshops, conferences, and other networking events allow professionals to branch out and meet other people within your industry who may be able to help you with career opportunities in the future. When you decide you want a change or are ready to move up in your career, your professional network and relationships will come in handy. - Up to date with industry trends
Professional development, continuous education, and learning opportunities are great ways to stay up-to-date on industry knowledge and trends. Every industry is constantly evolving, so you should use every opportunity to expand your knowledge base, learn new practices and techniques, and embrace new technology. - Increases earning potential and career opportunities
In addition to upgrading your skill sets and increasing your earning potential, choosing to grow and learn provides young and experienced professionals with opportunities for career advancement. A professional's value can also be increased by obtaining professional credentials, certifications, and designations, which can be obtained both online and offline.
Ways to improve professional development
1. Set your goals
To begin your professional development journey, create a list of goals and add a schedule for each of them. Having a schedule can help you create a timeline for your growth and keep track of your progress. This will help you increase your productivity and focus. You could easily create a schedule by using an agenda, an online app or a journal. Having a clear set of objectives can help you map out how you want to progress or the areas that you could improve. It can also help you visualize the outcomes, which can motivate you to complete the tasks.
2. Attend training programs
You can attend training programs, such as webinars and seminars, conferences or workshops to improve your professional development. By attending these programs, you can learn and experience new work-related skills, which can lead to professional growth and development.
Here are some examples of platforms that deliver excellent training and information:
- Pluralsight
- Udemy
- Codecademy
- Coursera
- Skillshare
- Udacity
- LinkedIn learning
- LearnWorlds
- Talent LMS
- General Assembly
- edX
And some books:
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
- Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It... and Why the Rest Don't Book by Verne Harnish
- Worth Doing Wrong by Arnie Malham
- Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux.
If you are looking for some guidance or advice on how to become a better software developer you can always check out our OceanoBe blog section.
3. Take new roles or responsibilities
Another great way to grow professionally is by taking on new roles or responsibilities in your position. You can do this by asking your manager if you can do some tasks that a different position normally does. Having more responsibilities shows your managers that you can take initiative and that you can successfully complete tasks outside of your usual activity. Learning how to do new tasks and increasing your company knowledge contributes to your professional development and also will give you confidence and encouragement.
4. Continue your education
Further education can improve your professional development because it increases your knowledge and it shows your dedication to your career. Having a higher level of education may also allow you to receive different job opportunities.
5. Mentorship
Another great way to improve your skills and knowledge is to find a mentor or role model. A mentor can help guide you in setting your goals and ensure that you're staging on the right track. They may also teach you new skills or give you advice. You can seek out a mentor or role model who has achieved something you would like to have—or be—so that you can learn how they got there and emulate their success.
In conclusion
The truth is many people aren’t investing in their career development. We all know the benefits of learning. But, we also know that learning takes time and effort – often, time that we simply don't have. It's hard to find space for learning around a daily commute, our everyday work, household chores, and, of course, precious time with friends and family. It is also important to remind ourselves that if we ignore our professional development, we risk getting left behind, and we might miss out on opportunities for promotions and even finding new things that we enjoy doing.
This being said, I hope that this article with give you a boost of confidence and help as a reminder of your growth and development journey.
#TimetobeUnstoppable
