Sometimes being a professional feels like being a top up phone. You use your knowledge credits and every so often, you have to top up again to stay on top of your game.
Whether you are moving countries, starting a business or moving into leadership positions, there is always something new to learn. Many professions now make it mandatory for their members to maintain continuing professional education and keep their skills up to date. Our brains continue to develop throughout our lives and feeding it with the right skills and experiences can help your career.
Like many of my friends, when I finished university I thought that I had finally reached the font of knowledge. I was ready to take that last vital sip from the font, then sit back and relax. Yet, to make the most of any career or professional life it has become increasingly important to develop and build our knowledge base. Whether you are running your own business, leading teams or getting ready to move into any leadership position, start looking at ways you can build on your strengths and top up your knowledge.
Technical skills are now the baseline for anyone wanting to excel in their professional life, particularly in London. The changing nature of work means that softer skills, such as emotional intelligence, self awareness and leadership skills are becoming more important. There are many options for making sure that you stay in the game. Before you embark on your development venture, determine what it is you want to get out of it.
Here are just three ways you can fulfil your development needs.
1. Go bespoke
If you wish to work on specific development areas, bespoke sessions could be your best bet. Bespoke development can be tailored to either confidential one-on-one or group sessions. Coaching, development and training consultants can sit down with you and develop programmes that best suit your needs. This may include coaching, training and other types of bespoke experiential learning.
2. Open access training courses
There are many training and development companies and organisations which provide structured courses to anyone who books. These courses are generally held for groups and can be either face to face or online. Some courses result in accreditation of some sort. Many employers provide their employees with face to face and online courses, either from external or internal suppliers, to keep them skilled up. Employees should try to make the most of these courses. Courses can run from one hour, to weeks or months.
3. Degrees and diplomas
If you are looking for additional degrees or diplomas, you can try colleges and universities. This is generally the more formal option and many courses have specific entry requirements. Do your research and find out which institutions provide the qualifications, quality of education and support you want. You might even be able to get funding. Many professionals decide to undertake MBAs to hone their business skills. These are five of the best MBA schools in the UK:
- London Business School
- University of Cambridge: Judge Business School
- University of Oxford: Said Business School
- Warwick Business School
- Manchester Business School
Professional lives and careers are ever evolving. To grow and be the best at what you do, find new ways to develop both your technical and softer skills. Learning should be fun so find the right fit for you and your learning style.
