Career and Professional Development

Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or business

environment.  A person doesn’t have to work in a specific profession to demonstrate the
important qualities and characteristics of a professional.  Professionalism leads to
workplace success, a strong professional reputation and a high level of work ethic and
excellence.

In a recent study on Career Readiness conducted by NACE (National Association of

Colleges and Employers), employers who hire college graduates were asked which
professional competencies were essential to workplace success.  Professionalism/work
ethic topped the list with 97.5% of respondents identifying it as either “absolutely
essential” or “essential” for a new college hire’s success.

Here are 12 ways you can develop and practice professionalism:

1. Be productive
Use your time productively at work.  Focus on your job responsibilities and
avoid getting pulled into social media, web browsing and phone activity while
on the clock.
2. Develop a professional image
Project a professional presence and dress appropriately for your industry
and organization.  A good rule of thumb is to dress in the position you aspire
to have.
3. Take the initiative
Ask for more projects to be given to you or think of assignments that will
meet your organization's goals.  You don’t want to be under-utilized.
4. Maintain effective work habits
Prioritize, plan and manage your assignments and projects.  Follow up and
follow through with your supervisor and team members.
5. Manage your time efficiently
Establish priorities, set goals and create action plans to meet deadlines.
6. Demonstrate integrity
Be accountable for your work and actions while behaving ethically at all
times.
7. Provide excellence
Produce work and results that reflect a sense of pride and professionalism,
often exceeding expectations.
8. Be a problem-solver
When you run into problems and obstacles take the time to brainstorm a few
solutions and alternatives before you meet with your supervisor.
9. Be resilient
Develop coping skills to manage setbacks and challenges with a positive
and constructive attitude.
 10. Communicate effectively
Practice professional on-line, in person and interpersonal communication
skills.
11. Develop self-awareness
Learn to manage your emotions and gain awareness of your emotional
triggers so you can manage your reactions positively and productively. 
Accept and reflect on feedback to assist as you learn and grow.
12. Build relationships
Network with colleagues, customers and clients to build professional cordial
relationships, work on teams and collaborate effectively.

What Is Professional Development and Why Is It Important?

Your Guide to Professional Development
As you grow in your career, remember no one is born brilliant at their job. Every
successful person has been learning and working at their skills for a long time — taking
advantage of professional development opportunities over the entirety of their career.

The professional world is becoming increasingly competitive and is constantly changing,

so professional development and continual learning is more important than ever in
being successful and achieving career goals. Technologies and best practices are
evolving and progressing in every industry, making it crucial for both new and
experienced professionals to continue developing their skills and honing their
knowledge.

Contents:
What Is Professional Development?
Why Is Professional Development Important?
What Is the Purpose of Professional Development?
What Are the Benefits of Professional Development?
How Can I Improve My Professional Development?
What Are Examples of Professional Development?
Obtain a Certification, License, or Professional Designation
Begin Your Professional Development With Online Learning

What Is Professional Development?

Professional development refers to continuing education and career training after a
person has entered the workforce in order to help them develop new skills, stay up-to-
date on current trends, and advance their career.

Many fields require professionals to participate in continuing education and ongoing

learning, sometimes as a prerequisite for keeping their job or to maintain their license,
designation, or certification. In these cases, the field likely has specific continuing
education (CE) or continuing professional education (CPE) requirements which must be
completed through an approved continuing education provider.

Beyond continuing education, professional development can refer to many different

types of relevant educational or training opportunities relevant to the professional’s
work. Even when not required, many professionals who want to excel in their career will
voluntarily seek out professional development and learning opportunities.

Why Is Professional Development Important?

The truth is, many people aren’t investing in their career development. One-third of
employees say they do nothing to upgrade or improve their current skill set. These
people aren’t too worried about their future career. Many may be good at their jobs, too,
but they’re either content where they’re at or just aren’t worried about their professional
future.

This means by taking advantage of professional development, continued education, and

planning for your career, you’ve already got a leg up on a third of your peers. Because
you’re going for it and taking ownership of your career, you’re much more likely to
achieve success and meet your goals.

What Is the Purpose of Professional Development?

The purpose of professional development is to give professionals the opportunity to
learn and apply new knowledge and skills that can help them in their job and further
their career. Professional development is all about building your skill set and knowledge
base for your field.

And professional development isn’t just helpful for you — it’s helpful for your employer,
too. By having opportunities to learn, increase your skill sets, and stay up-to-date on
industry trends, professionals like yourself increase your own worth while also adding to
your company’s overall value.

Professional development and professional training opportunities provide many other

specific benefits for both young and experienced professionals. Some of these benefits
are listed below, but this list is by no means comprehensive.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Development?

Professional development and continual learning will provide multiple benefits to every
professional who actively engages with these opportunities, but many of the benefits of
professional development will depend on the professional’s specific career goals.

Benefits of professional development include:

Professional development expands your knowledge base.

Professional development and continuing education opportunities can expose both
young and experienced professionals to new ideas, solidify their knowledge, and
increase their expertise in their field. Those who actively seek out these learning
opportunities are those who will benefit most from them.

Professional development boosts confidence and credibility.

By increasing professionals’ expertise through professional development, their

confidence in their work will increase as well. No one likes to think they’re missing
important skills in their industry. Professional development courses, continuing
education, and training opportunities allow professionals to build confidence and
credibility as they acquire new skill sets and professional designations.

Professional development increases earning potential and hireability.

Professional development and continuing education offers both young and experienced
professionals with opportunities to boost their earning potential and future hireability by
increasing their knowledge and updating their skill sets. Professional credentials,
certifications, and designations — most of which can be accessed and obtained online
— also provide easy ways to increase a professional’s value.

Professionals with the right skill sets who seek out and take advantage of upskilling
opportunities are certainly more bankable than those who don’t.

Professional development can provide networking opportunities.

Many professional development opportunities such as workshops, conferences, and

other networking events allow professionals to branch out and meet other people within
their industry who may be able to help them 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 the professional relationships you forged will come in handy.

Professional development keeps professionals current on industry trends.

Professional development and continuing education and learning opportunities are great
ways to stay up-to-date on industry knowledge and trends. Every professional industry
is constantly evolving, so employees should use professional development and training
opportunities to expand their knowledge base, learn new practices and techniques, and
embrace new technology.

Professional development can open the door to future career changes.

For professionals who are looking to make a complete career change or to pivot within
their industry, new skills acquired through professional development training could be
critical to opening new doors within their field or to transition to a new industry.

How Can I Improve My Professional Development?

There is no universally “right” way to plan for career growth and career development.
But to find the right professional development opportunities that are best for you, you
need to start with your career goals. Once you know your goals, it is easier to seek out
and take advantage of the professional development opportunities that are right for you.

While continued learning and training opportunities are always important, there are
many ways you can augment your professional development and invest in your career.
Ways to improve your professional development include:

Develop a timeline with career milestones. If appropriate, take your timeline to your
boss or manager during your one-on-one meetings or annual reviews and ask them to
help you manage your career to reach your milestones.
Take advantage of any and every training program and professional development
opportunity your company offers and you think would be helpful to your career.
Find a mentor you look up to and whose career growth you would like to imitate. A
mentor is a great way to learn about new opportunities, and learning from someone
else’s experience can give you an edge over other professionals.
Consider a lateral move within your industry to broaden your experience. Having an
understanding of and being able to perform multiple related jobs can be very helpful as
you progress in your career.
Most importantly, have a career plan. A career plan should include your timeline and
milestones mentioned above along with your career goals and how you plan to achieve
them. The most successful people in any industry who are satisfied in their careers
proactively planned what they wanted from their career. As your career progresses and
you gain a better understanding of your industry and what you want from a career, be
sure to update your career plan.

What Are Examples of Professional Development?

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.
Obtain a Certification, License, or Professional Designation
Obtaining a professional certification, license, or designation can help your career —
and your salary. Have you ever been passed up for a job because other applicants had
more training or certifications? The truth is relevant certifications, licenses, and
designations for your field will only help your career.

For one, obtaining a designation or completing a certificate program not only

demonstrates your training and knowledge but also a commitment to your career.
Companies will rightfully think you truly want to contribute to their success and thereby
your own success.

If there are specific certifications or designations often required or desired in your

industry, do what you can to obtain and maintain them. Whenever you have the skills
sought after by employers, you’ll find it much easier to achieve your career goals — and
make more money doing it.

Completing an online certificate program demonstrate a real commitment to your

career. It means you’re serious about contributing to your company’s success by
helping it operate more efficiently and profitably. It means you set goals-and achieve
them. When you obtain the skills employers seek, you’ll find yourself in demand, with
real advantages for career success. And you can do this through convenient online
training.

Begin Your Professional Development With Online Learning

At WebCE, we know education is an important part of professional development.
Whether you’re pursuing a new career, fulfilling your CE/CPE requirements, or want to
enhance your industry knowledge, we have superior online courses with live support
professionals designed to help professionals like yourself move your career forward.

WebCE offers online learning opportunities for professionals in several fields, ranging
from insurance, finance, tax and accounting, real estate, and funeral. Our courses cover
a broad range of subjects and are more than just required CE — they’re courses you’ll
actually want to take. Propel your professional development and your career today with
WebCE.