Professional development is the ongoing process of acquiring new skills and knowledge to enhance your performance and advance in your career. This can look like taking courses, attending workshops or conferences, earning certificates, and getting support from mentors or networking with others. It's a process that helps with both personal and professional growth.
Most universities, institutions, organizations, associations, conferences, and maybe even your site of work have professional development opportunities, so it's always a great way to start there. Nonetheless, below you will find resources for the different components of professional development.
Continuing education refers to the process of enhancing one's knowledge and skills through online courses, certificate programs, or other formats. Engaging in continuing education can significantly improve your career opportunities.
Oxford Home Study | Free Online Courses
Stanford Online | Free Content Library
Networking is beneficial at any stage of one's career. Actively engaging in networking opportunities whether it be reaching out to faculty in your department, connecting with experts in your field at conferences, or cold emailing someone who's work you admire, provides valuable learning expereinces.
Engaging with individuals from various background is also helpful in enhancing your creativity and broadening your perspective. Networking allows not only for an exchange in knowledge, but can also facilitate potential career opportunities. As one of my high school teachers would tell us, "Sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know."
Build Your Network | Harvard University
5-step Guide to Networking | Princeton
LinkedIn is a great opportunity to connect with others in your field and apply to jobs, internships, etc.
Linkedin for Networking, Career Building & Job Search | Harvard T.H. Chan
Mentorship is a type of relationship where a more experienced individual provides guidance, advice, and support to someone who is newer to the field, career, or job. Nonetheless, mentorship is a two-way street, the effort and committment of both the mentor and mentee is mutual.
Explore some resources below:
National Mentoring Resource Center
Mentoring Toolkit | University of Washigton
Mentor Toolkit | The Ohio State University
Learning how to manage our time is easier said than done. In academia, the to-do list is never-ending. Therefore, the goal of time-management is to make consistent progress, no matter how small, while also reducing and managing stress.
13 Time Management Techniques to Boost Your Productivity | Motion Blog
SMART GOALS | Purdue Global
ATracker - track the time you spend on each task
Leadership (noun): the act of leading a group of people or organization [towards a common goal] (Oxford Languages)
Developing leadership skills at every career stage is crucial.
Center for Creative Leadership - Insights & Research
Leading in Difficult Times | AAMC
How to be a great leader | TED Talks
What makes a leader? by Daniel Goleman | Harvard Business Review
Fostering healthy relationship dynamics in the workplace and beyond is essential.
Here are some resources to help navigate professional relationships:
DEARMAN - a Dialectic Behavioral Therapy skill for effective interpersonal communication
Guide for Difficult Conversations | University of Nebraska - Lincoln
16 Ways To Set Boundaries at Work and Why It Matters | Indeed Editorial Board