The short answer is yes.
No matter where you are in your career, you still need professional development.
The long answer is also yes. Most big businesses offer professional development to their employees. Training courses, paid education, seminars or workshops… it’s in their best interest that employees develop and master new skills.
But if you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner… well, sometimes professional development gets left behind.
When I first thought about becoming a freelance writer, I bought and worked through an AWAI course. It was incredibly helpful… and then I left it at that. I took that skill set and began looking for clients.
I didn’t learn any new skills. I didn’t join any professional communities. I didn’t feel like I was making enough money to justify spending more to learn or grow my business, so I didn’t invest in myself.
Because that’s what professional development is – an investment in yourself and the future of your business.
It can be nerve-wracking to spend the money on a course or community membership. But everyone needs to learn new skills, especially if you’re the only one running your business at first. If you’re a small business owner starting a blog, you need to learn about SEO. If you’re a freelancer trying to set up a business, you should join a community that offers you professional support and education.
Sure, there are free resources online for a lot of these things. But they’re not going to give you the same benefit or have the same impact on your career. Investing in the right form of professional development can give your business a huge boost.
But how do you know if you’re taking the right step?
There are tons of development options out there — take some time to figure out which are the best for you and your business
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1. Decide what you need
Think about what skills you need, or what services you wish you could offer to your clients. Is your business suffering because you don’t know enough about how social media works? Do you want to offer clients a service that requires a professional certification?
Or maybe there’s someone in your niche that you really want to work with – a great mentor or an expert who’s already been very successful at what you want to be doing. Do you need training, contacts, guidance, or all three?
Decide what would be the best investment for you.
2. Do your research
You don’t want to buy a course or e-book and discover it’s worthless, so explore your options before you commit.
A lot of those free resources are offered by people who also have paid offerings. Check out some of them – a blog, a free e-book, a newsletter – to get a sense of the value. If the free resources have a lot of useful information, chances are the paid ones will be even better.
Join in a discussion with people in your niche on blogs or social media. See what services, e-books, or forums everyone is talking about and get a sense of their value that way, too. If it’s getting good reviews from other professionals, chances are it’s worth looking into.
And make sure to compare prices — they can vary widely for products and services offered online. Make sure you know where the best value for your money is.
3. Look at what’s being offered
I wanted to join the Freelance Writers Den* for some time – it has amazing resources, tons of online courses, and a great and supportive community. But it’s only open to new members for short periods of time, so it’s hard to get into.
I also wanted to learn more about journalism and magazine writing, so I was on the lookout for a good course on that subject. When I discovered that the owner of the Den was offering a four-week journalism course that also included membership in the Den, it was a no brainer: taking the course would not only teach me what I wanted, it would give me access to a ton of resources that I probably would never have otherwise.
The best kinds of professional development are the ones that keep on giving, so try to focus on those. You’ll get a much higher value for your money.
4. Check for a guarantee
You don’t want to invest in development that doesn’t help you develop, so look for some sort of guarantee. Most legit e-books, webinars, or training courses offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with your investment after 3-6 months. If you’re still nervous about spending the money, this is a great way to help yourself take the plunge.
In the end, professional development is all about valuing yourself and your business. And if you don’t value your work enough to invest in it, why should your customers?
What sort of professional development do you invest in? Has it been worth it?
*The above link is an affiliate link. But I only endorse products I’ve tried and recommend… so you can click without fear.
**Image courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The short answer is no. You do not technically need to get a diploma or certificate or degree in order to become a professional cake decorator. However, it certainly can go a long way. In order to become the best cake decorator you can, it is suggested that you receive formal education and training. Not only can you learn new and important skills by completing a cake decorating program, you can also make valuable business and professional connections. If you decide to enroll in a professional development program to receive formal training, you will want to check out the prospective program to see if the American Culinary Federation accredits it.
You’re absolutely right, Randi, that paying for professional certification is not always necessary. But I think there are tons of other types of professional development out there that are absolutely necessary if you run your own business and want to keep growing and developing. Studying marketing strategies, for example, learning about website design, even just taking the time to read about development and trends in your niche… all of these are professional development, and without them your business can easily stagnate and get left behind in the market.