Professional development involves advancing your skills and abilities as it pertains to your career. Setting goals in your career is important for growth and achievement. It can keep you motivated at your current position and provide you with overall satisfaction as you achieve new things. Professional development is the role of both an employee and their employer. As an employer, allowing workers to participate in professional development opportunities can provide increased competency and areas of acceleration. Professional development can involve new careers, additional education and training, participating in professional organizations, increased job duties and responsibilities, skill-based trainings and so much more. If you are looking to set professional development goals for yourself or start implementing them at your workplace, there are steps you can take to evaluate where to begin. The following are simple steps to take in setting professional development goals:
- Identify your end goal. First figure out where you want to get to.
- Break down into smaller steps to get to your goal. Write a list of steps that you will need to take to get to your goal. Looking at the steps can make the goal seem easier and simpler than achieving the goal all at once.
- Set deadlines. Help hold yourself accountable to reaching your goals with setting deadlines for your steps and your goal as a whole.
- Ask for feedback/advice. Talk to someone who has maybe achieved a similar goal that can offer some feedback or advice on your professional development goal.
- Take stops. Evaluate your progress and either keep going to achieve your goal or make modifications on your steps.
Dream big about your future and consider some of these steps in moving forward toward your goal!
