Professional development refers to your ongoing commitment to ensure that your skills and ability to do your job are always relevant and up to date. Some people use professional development to stay current in their present job; others use professional development to gain promotions within their industry. Whichever you choose, it is imperative in today's workplace to continue to grow and develop professionally.

Professional development opportunities vary from occupation to occupation and employer to employer. Here are some factors to consider:

• Some industries regulate and provide professional development for their members, such as doctors, lawyers, and speech pathologists.



• Some associations provide optional professional development opportunities for their members at a cost; for example, administrative assistants and marketing specialists may have to pay for part of their education or training.



• Some companies pay for professional development courses for their employees. These companies may or may not require a service commitment in return.

To discover the opportunities and support that is available make inquiries with your employer. The company may be willing to subsidize any one of the following forms of professional development:

1. One-day courses on a specific topic



2. Conferences (local and out of town)



3. Workshops and/or seminars



4. Formal educational opportunities (credit subjects, degrees, diplomas, etc.)



5. Sabbaticals (permitted leaves from work to pursue training and development)



6. Exchanges (switching jobs with other employees internally or with another company).

If you wish to pursue formal educational opportunities, please check out Continuing your Education. For information about professional associations, trade publications, and competition value, visit Alternative Forms of Learning.