Whether you are a new graduate or an established professional, returning to school to acquire career-relevant skills can be a game changer. Applying new skills, either to your current job or to help find your next job, is an important opportunity to consider. Through brief, skills-based Professional Development Courses like those offered by University of Phoenix, you can develop additional much-needed talents that can help make you attractive to current and future employers.
Professional Development Defined
Professional development is a broad term that represents an array of opportunities related to careers. Individuals can pursue professional development through classes, coursework, training programs and other educational opportunities. They are designed to help employed people looking to improve their skill set or unemployed individuals striving to acquire the necessary skills to gain employment.
What are some of the benefits of professional development? Since this typically leads to personal growth and learning, it can be a good option no matter where you are in your career path. Here are some of the key benefits of professional development:
- A Career Booster. Are you feeling that your resume could use a little lift? Professional development lets you acquire new skills and information that you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- A Personal Commitment. By making the choice to seek and complete professional development, you are showing employers that you are interested and proactive in pursuing lifelong learning opportunities.
- A Bigger Toolkit. Professional development gives you a new set of tools you can use to make you job ready no matter where you work.
- Responding to Demand. Technology advancements and changing needs for employees in certain jobs means an ever-shifting landscape for skill acquisition. Your professional development work shows that you are aware of in-demand needs and that you are working hard to develop and refine those skills.
When Professional Development Is Needed
Timing is everything in your career trajectory. Being able to anticipate and respond to changes is a great way to discern when professional development will help you and which professional development courses are best for you.
Early-Career Professionals
After you graduate from college, like many others, you may focus exclusively on making a good impression and excelling at your chosen job. You may be hyper focused on completing the tasks and meeting the goals your employer has set while developing professional relationships with managers and coworkers.
This approach is smart. However, you may also consider setting aside time, energy and resources for skills training. Fortunately, many employers offer on-the-job training on skills, software and procedures. However, this training is usually very specific to the job and the company.
Planning for your next job, and the next and the next, requires some forethought. You can consider professional development opportunities such as short courses from University of Phoenix as a way to be better prepared.
Mid-Career Professional
If you’ve been in the workforce for 10 or 20 years, you may think you’ve seen it all. There may be additional pressures on your time from work, family and hobbies.
Nevertheless, mid-career opportunities abound. Consider what could happen if you applied the vast experience you already have in your career with new, fresh skills from a course, webinar or skills-specific program. Adding a new set of skills to your existing professional expertise can help you.
Responding to Reality
Ten years ago, the terms blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and automation were barely used in the business world. Software spreadsheet programs had limits on the amount of data they could handle as business intelligence and big data were not as widely applied.
Today, those technologies are everywhere, helping to revolutionize business sectors across industries. Consider the growth of smartphone use, which has become a vital part of our work and personal lives. Mobile apps have changed the way we travel, connect and socialize.
As demands shift, so too must the workforce. That means ensuring there are skilled workers ready to meet the demands of business as needs evolve. That’s where professional development can be essential.
An Opportunity – For Something Familiar or New
Professional development can be powerful because anyone can pursue it at any time regardless of their background. These courses can help individuals improve their existing skills or develop new ones.
At University of Phoenix, you do not need a degree to pursue professional development courses. The University offers professional development courses in bite-sized packages. Each lesson lasts about 60 minutes, and at the end of each lesson, students are tested for comprehension with a skills assessment. Courses are taught in English and only require a current web browser and internet connection. You can sign up for University of Phoenix Professional development courses with a social media account or a personal email address. Professional development courses are not credit earning.
Courses can be completed any time within 12 months after purchase. Once completed, students also receive a certificate of completion that can be added to their LinkedIn profile.
To learn more about professional development opportunities at University of Phoenix, visit www.phoenix.edu/professional-development.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix offers professional development courses well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees programs. All courses are designed for adult learners by instructors who are professionals in their fields. Classes are offered frequently, giving students the flexibility to schedule and complete work at their own pace.
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