My Professional Development Journey

I’m a firm believer in the idea of life-long learning.  Your education shouldn’t end with graduation. 

This is where the concept of professional development comes into play.  Broadly, as Wikipedia explains it, professional development encompasses anything you do to gain skills and knowledge for both personal development and career advancement.

It’s the best of both worlds – the employee is bettering him or herself while the employer reaps the benefits as well.  For job seekers, it’s an all-important part of standing out from the competition in the current market.

There are all types of professional development opportunities out there.  These range from the formal – semester-long courses, advanced degree programs, conferences, etc. – to the informal – mentoring, coaching relationships, Webinars, staying current on industry reading, etc. 

Don’t be intimidated by all the opportunities.  Start small…Keep in mind that you can learn a lot from those around you on a daily basis, and it doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming.  Just yesterday, my colleague Julie gave a great presentation to the team with tips on online researching.  It took maybe 30 minutes out of everyone’s work day, but we all left with some extremely useful tools that we may have never come across on our own.

I recently decided to take a big step and launch a search to find an organization of some kind in which to become involved.  Since I’m a quiet person, I decided to start with Toastmasters International.  This was a very supportive and dedicated group.  After visiting a couple of meetings, and picking up a few public speaking tips, I decided it wasn’t what I had in mind.

I haven’t given up on my search, though.  Sometimes I find that knowing what I don’t want can help me figure out what I do.  I’m shifting my focus to an organization where I can do some of the same things, but for a cause I’m passionate about, instead of just public speaking.

So, my professional development journey continues.  And, in meantime, I’ve found an American Marketing Association seminar that I’m excited about attending next week.

I hope some of you will take the leap with me, and help yourself while helping a cause close to your heart.  And, if you’re already doing this, please feel free to share your suggestions and experiences.  🙂

Here are a few places I’ve found helpful along the way:

• Public Relation Society of America’s Houston Chapter
• American Marketing Association’s Houston Chapter
• Toastmasters International – Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be the right fit for you.

Finally, I’ll leave you with an inspirational quote from Henry Ford:

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

 Good luck!

 Jaime Napoli, Account Executive