Many people looking to advance their careers focus mostly on doing good work and getting noticed by those higher-up the ladder. While these are important, there is another really important component – professional development. Continuing to build one’s skills and knowledge is essential for moving up in an organization. Nonetheless, this is an unseen effort that very often goes unrecognized.
The Value of Developing Professionally
In a competitive job market, employers are looking for individuals that bring more than just the technical ability to do a specific role. They look for employees who have the drive, leadership skills, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and other higher-level abilities. According to the folk over at ProTrain.edu, who specialize in online education programs, an employee can gain these not just through work experience but also by actively developing themselves with training, courses, conferences, reading, certifications, and other growth opportunities. This continuing education helps to make one stand out while preparing them to take on greater responsibilities.
Identifying Areas for Growth
Climbing the ranks requires knowing one’s strengths but also being honest about gaps in skills and knowledge. High potential employees make professional development a regular part of their routine, not just something that is done just before a performance review. This could involve learning new technical abilities, honing soft skills like communication, or gaining exposure to parts of the business where one lacks experience.
Being Proactive
Employers today expect staff to own their professional growth rather than relying solely on company-provided training. Top performers look for opportunities proactively by engaging in professional associations, taking courses, attending conferences, volunteering for stretch assignments, and more. They look at their career development as an ongoing journey.
Making Time for Development
With busy schedules, it is easy to put off professional development. But making time for it really pays off. Actively learning and boosting skills leads to greater responsibilities and promotions. Employees pursuing advancement set aside time regularly to read industry publications, take online courses, listen to career-focused podcasts, and engage in other growth opportunities. They do not view this as optional but as imperative.
Translating Development into Results
At the end of the day, professional development must tie back to tangible results for the employee and the organization. Employees need to identify how new capabilities will be applied. Then they need to implement this learning on the job via improved performance, solutions to problems, or leadership of key initiatives. They should share results with their managers, so development efforts and related successes are more visible. This helps build a case for advancement.
Guiding Others
As employees gain seniority, they play a greater role in mentoring junior staff to guide professional development. This transference of knowledge across generations helps ensure organizational stability. Employees exhibit leadership by motivating others to enhance their skills, by coaching direct reports, and by championing development opportunities across their department. Guiding others is part of the unwritten job description at more senior levels.
Staying Relevant Amid Change
In an age of rapid change, even seasoned employees must keep developing or risk skills becoming outdated. Lifelong learning is now necessary to stay abreast of new technologies, market shifts, automation, globalization, and other evolving forces. Employees who think they have arrived and stop striving to improve get left behind. Change is here to stay, so professional growth must be continual.
Conclusion
While good performance is essential for advancement, employees hoping to climb the corporate ladder must also dedicate themselves to regular professional development. Actively building knowledge and abilities prepares rising leaders for greater responsibilities. While unseen, this process of continuing education plays a pivotal role in promotion. Employees must own their growth across all career stages rather than expect their company to provide development. Leveraging diverse opportunities allows employees to ascend over time by enhancing their value.
