How important is continuing professional development (CPD) to you? How important is it to your employer? It’s extremely hard to believe that CPD is still often overlooked in many sectors of industry, and simply brushed to the side as being deemed not very important or relevant – but the majority of us know this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your CPD is instrumental to your career success, the success and profitability of the company you work for, and ultimately the economy – so why is it still so undervalued?
It’s true, many sectors of industry (eg; Accountancy Course, legal, medical) take CPD very seriously, and for professionals who operate within these sectors, it is crucial they undertake CPD activity in order to remain up to date and knowledgeable, and continue practicing in their field. But what happens to the rest of us, who do not work in a CPD regulated profession? Our CPD surely isn’t less important.
Consciously undertaking training and proactively seeking ways to develop yourself and learn new skills, as opposed to simply reacting and adapting to changes or developments in the workplace, is important to all people working in any sector of industry, and can be extremely empowering. It also enables you to consider and select different ways in which to develop yourself, and in what areas. It may be a seminar, quick course, magazine, blog, video or event which presents the perfect way in which you can learn something which is specifically relevant and of importance to you.
If you don’t formally undertake CPD, now may be the time to have a chat with your employer about how you can develop your skills to benefit your career and the business. Check out our section on how to approach your employer for CPD training, if you need any advice on this. You’ll also be able to view additional information there, in relation to why CPD is important and how you can gain CPD points.
CPD is about lifelong learning, and is a practical way to enhance your skillset and ensure you remain knowledgeable and up to date with any advances, technologies or processes that are relevant to your role/profession. Alongside your efficiency and ability to progress, and the endless benefits to your employers, amongst many other advantages, CPD is one of the best investments to be made for you, your career and your business. Image taken from: forum.psni.org.uk
