7 answers
Lethukuthula
Student
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
2
Questions
Updated
505 views
what are recommended guidelines to follow for professional-development??
The transition from being a student to being a professional is a bit challenging.
As we are facing a huge problem with how to use college fundamentals in solving real-world problems.
That two-month training taught me a lot, and I will need to have answers prepared for my next position.
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7 answers
Laurie Rebholz
Leadership Development
7
Answers
Village of Pelham, New York
Updated
Laurie’s Answer
Lethukuthula, as one of the other responses noted, your question is a really insightful one and already has you on the path to success. The fact that you're focused on professional development is the most important step -- and something you should keep top of mind for the rest of your career (and life!). Professional development thankfully doesn't have to happen in a class -- if you experience every day with curiosity and ask yourself "what can I learn from this experience?" or "what did I learn from this experience?" you are developing.
I'd recommend you be playful about it and make it a habit. Carve out 15 minutes a day, or an hour a week to not only reflect as noted above, but to just read or watch videos. They don't necessarily have to be aligned to your profession, some of the best things I've learned didn't obviously link to the work I was doing but the act of learning inspired me to innovate in some way.
Good luck!
I'd recommend you be playful about it and make it a habit. Carve out 15 minutes a day, or an hour a week to not only reflect as noted above, but to just read or watch videos. They don't necessarily have to be aligned to your profession, some of the best things I've learned didn't obviously link to the work I was doing but the act of learning inspired me to innovate in some way.
Good luck!
ALi Habbache
Customer Success Manager Architect
11
Answers
Addlestone, England, United Kingdom
Updated
ALi’s Answer
I appreciate you asking about recommended guidelines for professional development,
Lethukuthula! Your question is truly insightful.
There are two main aspects to consider when it comes to development. Firstly, personal development revolves around self-growth, learning new things, enhancing your abilities, and cultivating a growth mindset.
Secondly, professional development involves topics that directly contribute to your career growth, such as training courses, certifications, and learning plans.
The journey from being a student to a professional can start with part-time jobs, internships, or even volunteer work. These experiences help you shift from a learning mindset to an application mindset.
The great news is that learning is a never-ending process, and you'll continue to discover new things every day, both directly and indirectly related to your job.
In short, the transition from a student to a professional can begin with part-time work, internships, or volunteering. Additionally, dedicating equal time to personal and professional development can yield significant benefits.
Lethukuthula, I'm more than happy to assist if you have a specific topic you'd like to know more about.
Lethukuthula! Your question is truly insightful.
There are two main aspects to consider when it comes to development. Firstly, personal development revolves around self-growth, learning new things, enhancing your abilities, and cultivating a growth mindset.
Secondly, professional development involves topics that directly contribute to your career growth, such as training courses, certifications, and learning plans.
The journey from being a student to a professional can start with part-time jobs, internships, or even volunteer work. These experiences help you shift from a learning mindset to an application mindset.
The great news is that learning is a never-ending process, and you'll continue to discover new things every day, both directly and indirectly related to your job.
In short, the transition from a student to a professional can begin with part-time work, internships, or volunteering. Additionally, dedicating equal time to personal and professional development can yield significant benefits.
Lethukuthula, I'm more than happy to assist if you have a specific topic you'd like to know more about.
Kjell Stenberg
HR Director
5
Answers
Mountain View, California
Updated
Kjell’s Answer
Hi Lethukuthula! While dated, the 70/20/10 model is worth considering - especially since you've gone from college/university to professional environment. The model is
* 70% on the job (e.g. the work itself, what you are responsible for, learning by doing, etc.)
* 20% networking and mentoring (e.g. talking to people, learning from them, getting professional insights from others, thinking through problems collaboratively, etc.)
* 10% classroom or book-based learning (e.g. what most universities do, however they often encourage mentoring circles, group-based projects, etc. that dip into the above 2 categories).
I imagine one of the bigg challenges you are facing going from college to the professional environment is that "learning" now has to come through the 70% of the role, followed by mentoring and feedback from managers and teams. The "how to get things done" and what you need to learn to do it will often come from how you set goals, how you approach your work, what others need from you, and how to influence or improve workflow, etc. This is mostly on the job learning!
Get a mentor; someone outside of your management chain but familiar w/ the company or work you do to be helpful and specific re: approaching the work you do.
Ask for feedback. A model I like is the 3x3: with your manager, identify 3 things that went well or you are doing well, and 3 things that could be improved, or skills/knowledge/interaction skills you can develop and add over time
Talk to other new hires/recent college grads - what are they seeing and experiencing? What are their strategies for learning? It may help you feel more confident if you aren't the only one, and peer-learning is often superior to other forms of learning since they know what you are going through and can provide insights others may not think of.
* 70% on the job (e.g. the work itself, what you are responsible for, learning by doing, etc.)
* 20% networking and mentoring (e.g. talking to people, learning from them, getting professional insights from others, thinking through problems collaboratively, etc.)
* 10% classroom or book-based learning (e.g. what most universities do, however they often encourage mentoring circles, group-based projects, etc. that dip into the above 2 categories).
I imagine one of the bigg challenges you are facing going from college to the professional environment is that "learning" now has to come through the 70% of the role, followed by mentoring and feedback from managers and teams. The "how to get things done" and what you need to learn to do it will often come from how you set goals, how you approach your work, what others need from you, and how to influence or improve workflow, etc. This is mostly on the job learning!
Kjell recommends the following next steps:
John Morehouse
Research Lead for Manufacturing
2
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Lethukuthula,
One of the most helpful pieces of advice that I received when starting my career out of college was the following: first determine how your specific role supports your organization overall, then use this as a guide for prioritizing your work and knowing what you need to do to be successful in your role. I am a mechanical engineer and my first job focused on redesigning products so that they were better quality and were less expensive to make. If I was successful in this role, the company would have better products that they could sell with lower costs, and therefore become more profitable. This could lead to career and salary growth for me as the company grows. You could look at a server at a restaurant as another example. The better the server is (friendly, helpful, attentive, engaging, etc.) the more business the restaurant will receive. This translates to more customers and increasing tip income for the server. Align yourself with the mission of the organization and it will help to guide you in what you need to do to be successful. Good luck!
One of the most helpful pieces of advice that I received when starting my career out of college was the following: first determine how your specific role supports your organization overall, then use this as a guide for prioritizing your work and knowing what you need to do to be successful in your role. I am a mechanical engineer and my first job focused on redesigning products so that they were better quality and were less expensive to make. If I was successful in this role, the company would have better products that they could sell with lower costs, and therefore become more profitable. This could lead to career and salary growth for me as the company grows. You could look at a server at a restaurant as another example. The better the server is (friendly, helpful, attentive, engaging, etc.) the more business the restaurant will receive. This translates to more customers and increasing tip income for the server. Align yourself with the mission of the organization and it will help to guide you in what you need to do to be successful. Good luck!
Joshua Smith
Risk Management
2
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Joshua’s Answer
Hello Lethukuthula!
In my experience, these are the most helpful things for transitioning from a student to a professional:
- Manage your time and stay organized. In a professional setting, it's up to you to meet deadlines, finish tasks, and handle your schedule.
- Ask questions. This is crucial for learning, building connections, and using your education in your job.
- Jump in and get your hands dirty! Your job is what you make of it. Be proactive and don't fear making errors. Throughout my career, I've discovered that hard work and a positive attitude are irreplaceable.
I hope this is helpful.
Best,
Josh
In my experience, these are the most helpful things for transitioning from a student to a professional:
- Manage your time and stay organized. In a professional setting, it's up to you to meet deadlines, finish tasks, and handle your schedule.
- Ask questions. This is crucial for learning, building connections, and using your education in your job.
- Jump in and get your hands dirty! Your job is what you make of it. Be proactive and don't fear making errors. Throughout my career, I've discovered that hard work and a positive attitude are irreplaceable.
I hope this is helpful.
Best,
Josh
Brandy Eger
Head of User Experience for HR applications
5
Answers
Jacksonville, Florida
Updated
Brandy’s Answer
Lethukuthula, Hello! Great question and I completely agree with the other responses. Laurie referenced having a curious mindset as a key component for your professional development and I couldn't agree more. This is a really great and simple way to create a habit to identify the knowledge and skills you are gaining or want to build further.
Professional development can come in different ways - experience, exposure, and education. Experience refers to expanding your knowledge and capabilities through the work that you do in your role such as taking on new responsibilities, solving problems, or shadowing an experienced peer. Exposure refers to opportunities to be exposed to others in the organization which can include soliciting coaching and informal feedback, finding a peer buddy who you can go to for questions and understanding, or participating in internal or external networks. Lastly, education is learning through formal training so would recommend that you look at what's available to you in terms of structured training courses, e-learning programs, or articles on specific topics.
Hope this is helpful to you as you go through this transition.
Professional development can come in different ways - experience, exposure, and education. Experience refers to expanding your knowledge and capabilities through the work that you do in your role such as taking on new responsibilities, solving problems, or shadowing an experienced peer. Exposure refers to opportunities to be exposed to others in the organization which can include soliciting coaching and informal feedback, finding a peer buddy who you can go to for questions and understanding, or participating in internal or external networks. Lastly, education is learning through formal training so would recommend that you look at what's available to you in terms of structured training courses, e-learning programs, or articles on specific topics.
Hope this is helpful to you as you go through this transition.
Whitney Stevens
Technology Strategy
8
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Whitney’s Answer
Hi Lethukuthula!
Transitioning from being a student into a professional can be difficult but many of the core tenets are the same but need to applied differently. Networking, time management, prioritization, creative thinking/problem solving, curiosity are all things that I am you do/use when in school and will be equally as important in the workplace.
I would also consider gathering feedback from your peers / leaders on areas you can work to improve on. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to focus on at first but crowdsourcing that information can not only give you a good place to start but show that you are looking to become better!
Transitioning from being a student into a professional can be difficult but many of the core tenets are the same but need to applied differently. Networking, time management, prioritization, creative thinking/problem solving, curiosity are all things that I am you do/use when in school and will be equally as important in the workplace.
I would also consider gathering feedback from your peers / leaders on areas you can work to improve on. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to focus on at first but crowdsourcing that information can not only give you a good place to start but show that you are looking to become better!