In the dynamic landscape of the professional world, the quest for growth and improvement is a continuous journey. Fortunately, an abundance of professional development resources exist to empower individuals in their pursuit of excellence. We have outlined our top resources for honing skills, acquiring knowledge, and staying ahead in your career:
One-to-One Professional Resources
Having access to a mentor or career coach can provide invaluable guidance and support. These individuals can assist in the development of leadership and communication skills and help you navigate through challenges in your career.
A study conducted by Calibrate found that while 79% of respondents are seeking mentorship only 21% have dedicated programs for this in their workplace. If your company does not have a formal program in place, seeking mentoring opportunities on your own can be highly beneficial.
With both free and paid membership options, BlueSteps offers it’s members executive coaching, interactive workshops, career assessments, thought leadership, The Pay Index compensation tools & more.
Online Learning
While some platforms for continuing education can be costly, there are many free online education tools which allow for flexibility in both location and timing of access. These tools cater to a variety of job functions including, but not limited to, marketing, sales, data science, web development, and operations. Whether you are searching for a specific certification or seeking new information through a course, these sites provide an array of easily accessible offerings:
Podcasts
Podcasts provide a convenient way to learn while on the move, allowing you to transform idle time into productive learning sessions. These bite-sized episodes are filled with actionable advice on skills for career growth, industry trends, wellness tips, and expert interviews, enabling listeners to absorb valuable information effortlessly. By tuning in, you gain exposure to different viewpoints, innovative ideas, and real-life experiences shared by successful professionals and thought leaders, broadening your knowledge horizon. Here are some of our top recommendations:
-
- Unlocking Us – Brene Brown
- The Mindset Mentor – Rob Dial
- How to Be Awesome At Your Job – Pete Mockaitis
- Lead With Your Brand – Jayzin Patria
- The Early Career Moves Podcast – Priscilla Esquivel Bulcha
- Leadership Next – Fortune
- The Forum on Workplace Inclusion
- Your Next Move – Kimberly Brown
- Lead to Win – Michael Hyatt and Meghan Hyatt Miller
- The Terri Cole Show
- Women at Work – Harvard Business Review
- Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
Goal Setting
As we approach the new year, it is the ideal time to create SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Defining your goals through these parameters allows them to be clearly defined and attainable. Let’s break those criteria down further:
- Specific: Target a specific area for improvement.
- Measurable: Quantify or have an indicator of progress for your measurable goals.
- Achievable: Specify who will do it and how.
- Realistic: State the results which can be achieved given your available resources.
- Time-bound: Specify your target date or time frame when the results can be achieved.
For example, a common goal in working toward career advancement is “I want to demonstrate my leadership skills.” This resolution is a great start but could use more clarity and definition to come to fruition. Applying the SMART criteria, that goal would transform into “I will demonstrate my leadership skills by volunteering to be the project leader on the next project that comes available. By organizing the team members, assigning roles, and ultimately succeeding, I will demonstrate my ability to get things done and motivate others.”
Mobile Apps
In the seemingly impossible quest to accomplish tasks and goals with intention and efficiency in limited time, technology can come to the rescue. These are some of our favorite mobile resources for skill development, both personal and professional:
-
- For personalized coaching – Coach.me
- For improved time goals – Google Calendar
- For automated organization – IFTTT
- For better thinking – Elevate
- For volunteering experience – GiveGab
- For creative inspiration – Brainsparker
- For upgraded language skills – Duolingo
- For mindfulness – Headspace
- For professional network maintenance – Contactually
Connect With Us
If you are interested speaking more to our recruiters about professional development and mapping your career path, we’d love to hear from you! Actively seeking a new role? Check out our career center to view our latest opportunities at top law firms across North America that are seeking high-value talent.
