Professional

Development
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What is Professional Development?

 Professional Development (PD) is quite simply a means of

supporting people in the workplace to understand more
about the environment in which they work, the job they
do and how to do it better. It is an ongoing process
throughout our working lives. PD opportunities provide a
means whereby we can keep in sync the changes,
broaden our skills and be more effective in our work.
 PD can be part of an individual’s personal ambition to be a
better practitioner, enhance his/her career prospects or to
simply feel more confident about their work and make it
more personally fulfilling. It can be a step on the ladder to
higher qualifications or enhanced job prospects or be
required by professional bodies to maintain professional
status. It can be part of meeting targets set by workforce
performance management schemes or an opportunity for
individuals to change their career paths.
Examples of activities that contribute to professional
growth and development

Continuing Education
•Enrollment in formal degree programs
•Pursuing certificates, accreditations or other credentials through
educational programs
Participation in professional organizations
•Attending local, regional, national, and international meetings,
conferences and workshops sponsored by professional organizations
•Presenting papers, workshops at conferences and workshops
•Serving as an officer, board member, or committee member
•Coordinating events sponsored by the organization
Enrollment in training programs
•Attending workshops and courses
Research
•Conducting research
•Presenting findings of research to others
Improved job performance
•Keeping up with technology, systems, processes
•Learning about new developments in your field
•Improving existing skills
Increased duties and responsibilities
•Taking on new challenges in current position, projects, short-
term assignments
Benefits for Individuals
 Improve your career prospects by achieving additional
qualifications
 Respond to changing conditions at work
 Achieve advancement at work
 Change career
 Meet the requirements of professional bodies
 Understand the latest developments in your field
 Develop your knowledge of the environment in which you work
 Be better at doing your job
 Achieve personal development
Benefits for Employers
For quality and a good working environment finds it easier to
attract and retain excellent employees where professional
development is embedded with business strategy.
Importance of Professional Development

 Be better able to recognize opportunity;

 Be more aware of the trends and directions in
technology and society;
 Become increasingly effective in the workplace;
 Be able to help, influence and lead others by your
example;
 Be confident of your future employability;
 Have a fulfilling and rewarding career.
Approaches to Professional Development
Skill Based Training

Effective skill-based training allows participants to learn

conceptual information or necessary behaviors, practice
learning the new information or behaviors, and receive
feedback on their performance.

Making the most of a training program: Have a discussion with

supervisor regarding reasons for attending, what you hope to
get out of it; Post-conference – debrief the experience. Discuss
what you have learned at the training session and how you
might immediately apply it to your work. Practice skills that you
learned.
Job Assignments

 Learning by doing – by working on real problems and

dilemmas
 May be an entirely new job, a responsibility added to an
existing job such as a short-term project
 The key element in a developmental assignment is
challenge

Develop mental Relationships

 Learning through interaction with others. Three major roles

that a person can play include: assessment, challenge
and support.
Critical Components of an Effective Professional
Development Plan

1. Assessment There is an established standard of success to

describe what an individual who is successful looks like. There is a
means of assessing where the individual is against this standard
and continual assessment of progress that has been made.
2. Challenge It must be something that stretches people, pushes
them out of their comfort zones, and requires them to think and
act differently.
3. Support We tend to think only of monetary support, but what are
the environmental support mechanisms. Who will provide
guidance, feedback, and assistance as the individual tries out
new skills, or takes on responsibilities that are beyond the scope of
their current skill level?
10 Key Points for Professional Development

1)Developing Action steps

2)Set Long term goals first
3)Technical knowledge
4)Developing Action-steps
5)Make a record of your “pinnacle moments” (satisfactory)
6) Evaluate yourself
7) Explore context
8) Be ready for changes!
9) Make a list of your skills and how to put them into practice
10) Work in team
Professional Development Cycle

The professional development cycle explains the process of

effectively planning, doing, recording and reviewing your
development. Whether for long-term development, or
working towards a particular qualification or professional
registration the professional development process will guide
you and help you to plan and record your lifelong learning in
a structured way. The process is designed for use at any stage
of your life, whatever your career stage, or category of
membership.
Ways to Promote Professional Development in the
Workplace

 Support and Model Behavior

 Cross-Training Work Assignments
 Access to Resources
 Coaching and Development