What Is Professional Development?
Professional development refers to all training, certification, and education that a worker needs to succeed in his or her career. It's no secret that different jobs require different skills. Even if a worker currently has the necessary skills, he or she may need additional skills in the future. Through professional development, workers can learn these skills to become better, more efficient workers
In education, the term professional development may be used in reference to a wide variety of specialized training, formal education, or advanced professional learning intended to help administrators, teachers, and other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness. When the term is used in education contexts without qualification, specific examples, or additional explanation, however, it may be difficult to determine precisely what “professional development” is referring to.
Top 10 Things Every College Student Should Do To Become More Professional
1.SPEAKING SKILLS: I don’t mean speaking skills as in knowing when and when not to speak, I mean speaking skills as in knowing when to call, email, and talk professionally. In the professional world, text-talk and acronyms do not exist. If you don’t find yourself using the proper language or grammar when you text, talk, or email, now is the time to start. Learning how to be professional means learning how to speak like one.
2.VOICEMAIL:You may find this a little funny or simple, but a professional voicemail can land or lose you a job. If you still have a voicemail that tricks someone into thinking you’re on the phone or has a funny phrase, a high end employer might hang up and not even leave a voicemail. Besides, changing your voicemail is part of growing up too!
3.SHOPPING:Okay, who doesn’t love shopping? Even when we grow up, that part never really goes away. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean going out to Charlotte Russe or Pac Sun and buy shorts, sunglasses, and graphic tees. I mean shopping at stores that sell blazers, pantsuits, ties, and dress pants. Growing up is hard most people can’t just show up to interviews and work in board shorts and tank tops. Dressing professionally is key to building your brand because it shows how serious and professional you can be. Walk the walk, talk the talk, look the part? Yeah, that.
4.BUSINESS CARDS:The further we get into our education, the more we have to learn to reach out to employers for internships and jobs. Having a business card ready when talking to these companies may help them remember you, separate you from someone who is high competition, or give them a partial idea of your professionalism before calling you for an interview. Sites like Vistaprint are perfect for designing business cards, but make sure you don’t ‘overdo’ the designs and colors. Make it stand out but not to the point where it’s too much to look at.
5.ONLINE PROFILES:The more we grow up, the more we are forced to transition from sites like Snapchat to sites like LinkedIn. Though you do not have to give up all your social media profiles, always remember that employers are looking at social media more than ever before because it does, in fact, run our world. You could have the skill set like no other candidate applying for the same job, but if an employer stumbles across something on your social profile that they do not approve of, they may take the second best candidate to save their brand. Be careful, and challenge yourself to become a better person online because this is a crucial way to enhance your professional brand.
6.CONFIDENCE:Confidence in your skill, knowledge, and personality can separate you from the next best person. Nobody likes an overly confident show off but being able to be confident in yourself and your skills in a professional way stand out more than you may think. Don’t show off and brag about the accomplishments the company already knows about, instead, show them how you were able to accomplish those things by your personal skills. Let them become impressed by craft not by bragging.
7.LEARN MORE EVERYDAY:Learning helps everyone, regardless of your professional status. Sometimes, doctors learn information from interns they may have never known about or heard, and lawyers learn different approaches in the courtroom from a law student or intern working for their firm. There will always be someone who is willing to consistently learn more about the preferred skill and those are the ones who advance quicker and stronger. Learning makes the world go ‘round.
8.HOBBIES:It may sound funny, but it’s true. As teenagers and young adults, our hobbies may still include things that professionals may not consider necessary. This is the time to take up new hobbies like volunteering for organizations that spark our interest or learning a new skill as simple as cooking, baking, or tutoring
9.ASK QUESTIONS:Not knowing what to do, where to go, and who to talk to is okay. As young adults, we take pride in learning how to do things for ourselves. However, it is normal to ask for help. Sometimes, asking for help makes you stand out because it shows you’re willing to learn and that you are not afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Ask questions if you have an issue and you may end up in the perfect situation.
10.DO NOT WAIT:Do not wait to be asked to do something stay ahead. Do not wait to be known for accidentally doing something, make yourself known for something that stands out confidence in your craft, remember?, and do not wait to become more confident in the professional atmosphere.Waiting to be asked to do something shows laziness and lack of interest, if you’re always ahead, you become noticed. Positivity is key; employers do not want someone negative working in their environment because it motivates the other works to be lazy and cynical, too.