Feel drained after a hard day’s worth of work? Feel like slouching in front of the box and forgetting about the day? Feeling unappreciated at work? Dream of escaping to pastors new, but dreading taking the first step? What got you to the place in your career is not what will take you to the next level of excellence.
Interestingly, many people who have gone through the formal education process may feel they no longer have the motivation or the inclination, to undertake any further studies. This is true especially if they did not enjoy the formal process the first time around. However, with the plethora of vocational courses available and online education, personal and professional development need not be a cumbersome process.
For those who see continuous professional development as a way to keep abreast of developments in their field, are usually the ones who climb the career ladder a lot faster than others merely hoping for miracles. Astonishingly, the author of Talent is Overrated, Geoffrey Colvin, states that most people tend to learn on their first job and then coast from job to job, but such people rarely move onwards and upwards.
Avoiding Just Over Broke Syndrome -J-O-B
It is very easy to get comfortable with a job and then clock up a number of years in service. However, unless the job is very dynamic, chances are most people will end up drifting in their careers. Why? It is very easy not to the “rock the boat” and “wait for something to happen” or expect others to take charge of the individual’s career, yet assume very little responsibility for his/her career management.
On average, most people only get a 3% annual pay rise, which is in line with inflation. Interestingly, average employees usually enjoy an average career and end up with average earnings. However such individuals may aspire to greater success and higher earning in their job, yet rarely make the investment necessary, to make a big difference. So, how do you get ahead of the pack? Invest in personal and professional development
Investing to Reap the Rewards
Emphasis has also shifted away from organisations to provide training and development and the onus is now on the individual to engage in continuous training. The main reason being that people are moving to other companies more frequently either by choice or circumstance and organisational training budgets are being trimmed to provide the necessary training due to austerity measures.
If you feel you have reached a stagnant point in your career, then it might be wise to spend of bit of time planning an appropriate action plan. Just by investing a small amount of resources including time, will ensure you stand head and shoulders above the rest. The old adage goes “you reap what you sow” is more applicable now than it’s ever been, especially with the continuously changing employment market.
Some people may not even know what is on offer in terms of training and development within their own organisations, so it does pay to seek out the programmes on offer in house. If there is something offered outside the company at a cost, then it might be worth presenting a business like proposal to the line manager highlighting the benefits of attending an external training programme
Maybe it might be wise to seek the advice and assistance of your line manager to help you decide which training or vocational qualifications would benefit you the most. If you feel uncomfortable in asking your line manager, then maybe a trusted senior colleague or mentor would also suffice.
Learning to Increase Earnings
If you want to be earning what the top earners are earning, then it’s worth finding out what the top people in your field have done to get to where they are. People are far more willing to help another individual who genuinely express a desire to engage in professional development. In a way, the giver of advice is “giving back” for being successful.
The following may serve as a useful checklist:
- Who are the top performers within your organisation?
- What can you learn about the impact they have on your organisation?
- What have they done to get to where they are today? Find out what training programmes they have been on or vocational courses.
- Can you arrange to speak with them about offering you some advice on helping with your personal or professional development?
- What one step do you need to make in order set the wheels in motion?
Taking control of your professional and personal development signifies that you are serious about your career and want to avoid being the average employee. Average employees only enjoy average careers, because they do the bare minimum to cruise through their job.
However, average employees only enjoy a life time of average earnings. Interestingly, employers are also expecting employees to have a certain skill set and approach to professional development. It is also these employees who will enjoy a content and fulfilling career.
Sources
- Geoff Colvin Talent is Overrated Portfolio Publishers, May 2010
- Daniel Coyle The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t born, Its Grown, Arrow Publishers, March 2010
Pervin Shaikh - We all have the necessary inner tools in our tool box to make a huge impact on our personal and professional lives.
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