I have observed how many colleagues, friends, students and clients who started their professional activity with a very good training accompanied by great talent, over the years have remained stagnant and have had difficulties to grow and improve professionally. I have also been fortunate to observe how people who began their professional careers in a more modest way (because their training had been more limited and / or their talent was somewhat less) over time grew much more professionally.
The difference between where you are now and where you want to be in the future is basically your professional development. Therefore, if you want to improve as a professional you must bet on your development. Next, and in my next post, I present 6 strategies that will help you in this challenge.
- Reading: Reading is a very important requirement (almost essential) to achieve professional development. Some people find it difficult to get started in this activity. You must start anyway, looking for books that you like and that are related to your professional activity. Amazon can help you a lot in this regard. Millions of copies, at cheap or even free prices (depending on the subscription you have) at your fingertips with a single click. A powerful search engine that will allow you to find the book that best fits your development. I also really like GoodReads, a platform specialized in helping you find the right book for you. Reading is exciting. I am convinced that, as you find books you like, you will discover new authors, themes, publications … and you will become an expert in the field in which you want to develop. Reading offers great benefits in the medium and long term. Do not think that by reading several books in the next week you will grow remarkably. Only after several years of continuous reading will you realize the knowledge you have accumulated and how much you have developed. So, start as soon as possible.
- Podcasts: I knew about podcasts for a long time, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I “hooked” on them. Surely there are millions of podcasts focused on the professional field in which you want to develop. It is a great way to learn taking advantage of time you spend driving, transporting to work, playing sports, or walking your pets. I love listening to podcasts and having thousands of hours of free and comfortable learning at my fingertips. I recommend that if you have not started with podcasts do so as soon as possible. And the longer you take, the more authors and more channels you will discover. An excellent way to develop yourself taking advantage of the time you invest in other activities.
- Continuous training: No one disputes how important (I would say essential) that it is to bet on continuous training. Many people think that when they finish their academic training and go to the job market, their formative stage is over. Serious mistake. Professionals must continue training throughout life. Fortunately, technology has democratized level training. Anyone who wants to learn in a certain professional field has magnificent training options (many of them free) that will allow you to learn and grow professionally. I highly recommend that you don’t go too long without training. That you combine more or less ambitious programs (master, postgraduate …) with small training such as webinars, workshops and conferences. With the conference boom, you surely have many options very close to you or in the online world. And many of them, free. You just must look for the options and themes that interest you the most and take advantage of the opportunities.
You want to know more? … More strategies like Coaching and Mentoring, Mastermind, or Reciprocal Mentoring, I will continue to explain it to you in my next post, Don’t miss it!
