Continue your professional development

We all know that many businesses — even the largest ones — have cut back on many things in the wake of the 2008 global financial meltdown. But even at the best of times, many employees — including those at the managerial level — tend to overlook professional development opportunities that employers frequently do offer.

What do you know about training and advancement opportunities offered in your workplace? Suppose there are none offered within the company. In that case, human resources may be willing to provide tuition for post-secondary courses, whether on-site or online, that contribute to your professional development.

This is worth researching and pursuing for a number of reasons. The very fact of seeking this kind of development marks you as someone who takes the initiative and is eager to advance. Any training you get makes you a better fit for advancement where you are and more likely to be noticed for promotion. And it can help you where you work now and make you that much more attractive to other employers should you choose to move.

If you’re looking to improve your prospects or just change your perspective, think about this. Find out what resources your company has for employee development; bring possibilities to the table if there’s nothing offered in-house. Gaining better knowledge and more credentials with the financial support of your employer — learning while earning, as the saying goes — is always a good choice.