From the course: Administrative Professional Tips
Training and development
- Do you regularly invest in personal and professional development for yourself? Are you and your supervisor in agreement on what you need in terms of training? Do you have a written improvement plan for short and long-term development? If you answered no to any of these questions, it's definitely time to start. Ongoing training and development for administrative support professionals are those learning opportunities where we are able to invest in ourselves in order to stay on the cutting edge of new technology, office procedures, and how to provide the best level of support for those you work for. Higher educational opportunities, on the other hand, is education beyond high school that normally leads to the attainment of a degree or certification. This type of education is usually necessary when seeking promotions or additional leadership responsibility. Training and development is important for you in your career for several different reasons. First, when you are allowed, and even encouraged, by your employer to take training, you will feel a greater sense of investment in you. When we feel valued in this way, we are more inclined to do more on a daily basis and go deeper in our level of commitment. Secondly, training and development strengthens skills that are already strong and helps us to reduce mistakes and gain confidence in the areas where we are weak. I am not one to spend a great deal of time on my weaknesses, but there are times when I am required to perform job functions that I'm not very good at. For me personally, that is in the area of financial analysis and budgeting. It is something I am responsible for, but where I feel inadequate. I have tried to overcome that by taking training workshops and collegiate classes in this area. I have also made it a point to be mentored by my boss, as well. All of these efforts have helped me to gain greater aptitude and understanding. Next, training and development helps us to stay on top of current trends and technological advances. We are then able to share this information with our employers as a subject matter expert. Finally, a reason to invest in oneself through training and development is to prepare you for your next job assignment. I am a firm believer in creating a vision for your life and career. As you begin to do this, you will be able to outline the appropriate skills that will be needed in order to advance to the next level. There are a number of professional development and training resources available through the Association for Administrative Professionals in the way of webinars, conferences, certification, and regularly published newsletters. There are also administrative professional courses available on this platform. Additionally, organizations such as SkillPath and Fred Pryor offer a variety of in-person seminars geared for administrative support professionals. Today is a good day to get moving and begin exploring the enormous amounts of opportunities available to invest in training and development for yourself. This is a responsibility that belongs to each of us and we cannot wait for someone else to do this on our behalf.
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