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Professional DEVELOPMENT
I hesitate to separate this section from the academic, as if to say academic development is distinct from professional development, for they both "Venn diagram" their way into the centre of “Learning & Development”. Nevertheless, a distinction will be made here, between (1) those already pursuing their academic qualification and who contact me at some point along that journey, and (2) those who are wondering about the next step, be it Levels 6-10 on the educational scale, in terms of a career change, or a career re-adjustment.
Also ... I don't want to fit everything onto one webpage! And there’s something to glean from that:
Don’t try cover too many bases at the same time ...
Professional development is very important. There are many ways that an employee can work on their professional development, such as taking classes, going to workshops, or teaching themselves new skills. Hey, just take a look at my website and my social media channels and the newly launched (as of December 2023) multimedia part of my business. I am never not improving my skills and learning. Professional development can also refer to staying up to date on new trends within your field and applying new practices to your current methods. Stand out! Be aware of the process of how companies identify and acquire skilled workers to meet their organizational needs.
Professional development makes you a better employee, helping you receive more opportunities for career advancement, such as promotions or lateral transfers. This part benefits you! A great deal of my job involves assessing my clients’ needs and strengths and weaknesses and making sure they meet their targets in order to complete their PD, Masters, or PhD. That is information that can be used going forward then in one’s career. What have you learned? How are you now stood apart from other workers? Have you identified your own strengths and weaknesses?
For more career-senior clients, this can often mean developing HR training and development strategies with line managers by considering immediate and long-term staff requirements, and sometimes designing and implementing appropriate e-learning strategies. Sharing is caring, of course, so there is always the need to foster collaboration and a spirit of open knowledge-sharing, not only among fellow students but also among fellow workers. No person is an island and if you see knowledge as a type of “magic wand” to impress people with, then congratulations: you’ve learned nothing.
Build a work environment, whether you have created it or not, that builds knowledge, skills and service for the benefit of the organisation as a whole, and for you as a whole, more importantly.
For me, a great many of my skills overlap with talent managers. We both develop a strategy, hoping to match a person’s skills and experience to a goal or tasks, finding areas they need support in and showing them the path to do so. A key part of this is determining the competencies and roles necessary to drive objectives, whether company-wide or academically. For me, it’s about making sure a person is engaged with the right learning and educational material and methods.
A learning and development program can provide anyone with the resources they need to continue their upward journey. Developing people’s competencies enhances their careers and promotes engagement and retention. For me, that has been a large part of my job in guiding people toward the academic goals, making sure they stay on target and making sure that these targets match their ultimate aim.
As such, the purpose is to make the most out of people’s talents and help them develop to their full potential. Thus, there is a strong focus, not just on what the learner wants and needs, but also on the needs of the organization they are entering and /or advancing in.
Each person learns differently. Some prefer learning by themselves and online, while others rather study the ‘old-fashioned’ way; in a classroom with an expert teaching them about a specific topic. And then there are those who prefer a combination of both online and offline learning. If you see my About page, you will see I am skilled in a variety of methodologies and philosophies. This, of course, links in with teaching styles, my clients’ needs varying greatly depending on their sector, age, and indeed desire to engage with the material. That prompted one of the decisions I took last year in 2023 when I decided to open another teaching channel, launching a YouTube channel with over 50 instructional videos.
If there’s a way to teach you something, I’ll exhaust all means to get you to that point.