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Enhance Your Career With A Professional Development Plan

As professionals, it can be hard to make time for self-improvement and development. But if you want to be successful, implementing a professional development plan is essential. Creating a plan that sets SMART career goals and objectives will help ensure success no matter what industry or field you’re in. The Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce can help; we've put together a list of steps you can take to create a stellar professional plan. Let's take a look.

Set SMART Career Goals

The first step in creating a professional development plan is setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) career goals. Take some time to think about your short-term goals (upcoming 6 months) as well as long-term goals (over the next 1-5 years) and write them down. This will help keep you focused and motivated as you work towards your ultimate career goal.

Assess The Skills You Need

Once you've set your goals, it’s time to figure out the skills needed to reach them. Identifying areas of weakness or gaps in knowledge can help guide the types of skills and experiences you need in order to reach your desired goal. This could mean taking classes online or attending seminars/workshops in person; joining an industry association; reading relevant books/magazines; or watching webinars/tutorials.

Find A Mentor To Work With

Having someone who has experience and knowledge in the same field as you can be invaluable when starting out on this journey of professional development. Seeking out a mentor not only helps with accountability but also provides guidance on how best to reach your desired goal faster while avoiding potential pitfalls along the way. Look for a business owner or executive who would be willing to help you set and reach your goals, either online or in person.

Revise Your Resume To Reflect New Skills

As you work toward your goals, it's important to update your resume regularly so that potential employers are aware of any new experiences or abilities gained since submitting your last application. Make sure that all new skills are included on the resume, along with any other pertinent information such as awards/certifications received, and any community service activities you've engaged in. This will help potential employers get a full picture of all your qualifications for the job applied for.

Set Marketing Goals

Marketing yourself is one of the most important aspects of advancing professionally--even if you don't work directly with marketing--because it increases visibility among peers, colleagues, and employers alike which can lead to increased opportunities. Be sure to set both online (social media presence such as LinkedIn profile updates) and offline (networking events) marketing objectives. This will help you get the most exposure.

Use Free Online Tools

Finally, don't forget about free online tools that can help with day-to-day management tasks. There are many pdf tools available online that allow users to easily organize documents into folders and track progress over time. This type of setup helps ensure efficient workflow and less stress when dealing with multiple projects at once. You can try this page when you need to convert a PDF file to a Word document for easy editing.

 

Building a strong professional development plan is essential for anyone wanting success within their chosen field or industry—no matter what stage they’re at currently. Take the time to write out SMART goals and research the best resources for your needs, such as online PDF tools. With careful planning, you can create a strong professional development plan that works for your needs.

 

Have a question for the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce? Reach out today and get in touch.

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