There are many types of professional development opportunities, some of which we’ve listed below. Remember the specific professional development opportunities that are right for you will depend on your personal goals and, if your professional development is required for your job or license, what types your company or licensing board will accept.
Examples of professional development opportunities include:
- Attend a professional conference. Conferences are great opportunities to learn from experts in your field, network with like-minded professionals, and have a good time. If an out-of-town conference is not possible, there are still many online conferences and webinars professionals can register for.
- Participate in workshops. The purpose of workshops is to bring together professionals with specific expertise to discuss problems and offer solutions. Unlike most conferences, workshops require active participation from those attending. This hands-on experience can be especially useful in learning new skills.
- Complete your CE/CPE. Continuing education is required to maintain most professional licenses and designations. Some people view continuing education as a chore they have to get out of the way every year, but proactive professionals take advantage of their continuing education courses to hone their knowledge and update themselves on their industry.
- Take advantage of microlearning. Microlearning is an effective learning method especially useful for busy professionals. Also known as “bite-sized learning”, microlearning consists of brief learning units that give brief, focused bursts of content (usually between 1 and 10 minutes long) allowing professionals to fit short learning sessions into their busy schedules.
- Shadow a colleague. If opportunity presents itself, it may be useful to shadow a colleague or superior whose type of job or skills you’re interested in. Shadowing another professional can be a positive learning experience that can offer a lot of clarity about your interest in that career.
- Read a book that can help you in your field. There are going to be a lot of books out there, no matter what industry you’re in. If you’re unsure of what to read, ask your manager or mentor what they recommend.