November: National Professional Development Month
No matter what situation you are in, most professionals have found themselves evaluating their professional future and trying to get a clearer picture on what their ideal roadmap looks like. With November being National Professional Development Month, now is the perfect time to think through professional goals, identify what skills are necessary to achieve those goals, and take action to go after those goals! CSS compiled our top tips and tricks to organize your thoughts and plan for your career development.
“According to a recent webinar with Monster.com, more than 1 in 4 women are saying that they will have to quit or scale back their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 4X more women than men have dropped out of the labor force in September 2020 alone because of remote learning and lack of childcare. This is only a fraction of the shift in the workforce in 2020, which is why it’s a great opportunity to re-evaluate your career path and goals. Take a look at our current openings at CSS, or reach out directly to me with questions,” says Alyssa Mahoney, CSS Corporate Recruiter.
Self-Reflection
The first step in creating your Professional Development Plan is self-reflecting on what qualities are most important to you in your work and being honest with yourself about what skills you have to offer. Set aside some time to answer the below questions:
- What aspects of my job do I most enjoy?
- Where do I find the most success in my role?
- What unique skills do I most contribute to my team?
- What external factors are or will be affecting my place of work?
- What certifications/licenses/trainings have I already received?
- What is my ideal vision of a job?
- How does my current role match that ideal vision?
- What from that ideal vision is missing from my current role?
Short-term Planning
By now, you should have a better idea of what characteristics are important to you in your ideal role. Next, think through your short-term (1 week, 6 months, 1 year) goals and actions you will need to take to achieve your ideal vision. Some examples could be:
- Improve your performance numbers
- Start your day 1 hour earlier
- Learn a new software system
- Make time to get to know your coworkers better
- Get more organized
- Attend 1 networking event per month
Long-term Planning
Long-term career goals should build off your short-term and might be achieved in 3 years, 5 years, 10+ years. Some examples of long-term goals you can set are:
- Gain leadership experience
- Gain professional experience in a different country
- Get a professional certification
- Publish an article in a professional journal
- Start your own company
Bottom Line
These quick exercises can help organize your thoughts and motivate you to check off some boxes on your professional To-Do list. If you are feeling stuck or unsure how to answer some of these questions, reach out to a CSS Recruiter to learn more about the current job market and explore new opportunities!
Looking for something else? Check out all our current openings on our job board! Looking to partner with one of our recruiters for your next career move? Contact your local office today!
Read More helpful & inspiring tips here.
Contemporary Staffing connects job seekers to hiring managers nationally in the following professions: Accounting & Finance, Call Center & Office, Human Resources, IT, Salesforce, and Sales & Marketing.