A brand-new year has just begun, and you probably have already started tackling those New Year’s resolutions you wrote down a month or two ago. Unfortunately, as is the case with most New Year’s resolutions, you start off strong in your efforts to achieve success only to lose momentum a few weeks or months into the new year. Maybe you have encountered this in your job or career. You set out to “better yourself” and learn a new skill or enroll in a certification course to enhance your portfolio of knowledge and experience in your field of work, only to be swept up in the hustle and bustle of the daily rise and grind of your 9 to 5.
What if you approached your professional development growth in a nontraditional sense? Instead of treating it like a “resolution” that will eventually be forgotten or put on the back burner for another time, turn it into a “bucket list.” Develop a list of three to five career-oriented goals you want to accomplish by the end of this year. Post it somewhere you will see it each day and set realistic expectations throughout the course of this year to complete each goal. This could be checking off a goal item once a month, once a quarter, or within the first six months of the year. Create a sense of personal anticipation and actually LOOK FORWARD to teaching and training yourself, which not only benefits you in the long run, but also your organization!
What are some ways you can grow yourself professionally this year?
- Have a pulse on relevant trends in your line of work. Think of Google’s search engine as your portal to access a plethora of blog and news articles, podcasts, case studies, videos, and tutorials. There is no shortage of resources when it comes to the World Wide Web! Carve out time each week, on your lunch break, during the evening, or even on the weekend when you are less distracted, to immerse yourself in industry insights and perspectives from leading experts.
- Look for opportunities to enroll in online certification courses. If you are in the marketing or business world, Meta and Google both offer course content to train professionals to utilize their suite of online platforms and implement proven strategies and best practices to acquire customers and generate business for their organizations. Upon completion of their courses, you will be able to take an exam to test your knowledge and application of these digital marketing tools and, upon passing, receive an official certification that you can add to your resume.
- Find a mentor. This could be a current or former colleague, boss, family member, friend, or acquaintance, but should be someone who also works in the same or similar industry as you. Additionally, this person should be someone you trust and know they will support you and guide you on your professional development journey.Ask this person if they would be willing to mentor you and take time to meet with you on a regular basis to share their thoughts and experiences, offer sound, balanced advice, and encourage you as you work toward your goals.
Unlock your potential and watch your professional development soar to even bigger heights this year!
Infinity Concepts provides employment testing, staff training, and leadership development. Also, check out some of our Infinity Concepts leadership blog resources here.
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Laura Denner