We all strive for greatness but without professional development examples to look up to, it’s hard to figure out what that looks like. Sure we can use our grades or salary to see if we’re on the right path but that’s just an outcome. Not the exact steps to get there. This post will give you actual professional development examples that you can adopt and it’s all categorized based on your stage in life. 

I am a first-generation American and growing up I knew hard work was important but I also thought you can’t trust anyone and you shouldn’t go out. Looking back I see we all have multiple opportunities to align ourselves with success. Some of these examples have helped me greatly to course-correct my destiny.

After reading this post you’ll know what you can do today to grow in your profession. Because yes you can grow within your profession even if you’re just a child.

This post is all about the professional development examples you can adopt at any stage of your life.

Childhood Professional Development Examples

1) School Clubs

School clubs are not a waste of time. They teach a child how to socialize and gosh sometimes that’s more important than talent. Learning how to communicate with others from an early age is really the gold standard when it comes to professional development examples.

2) Join a Sport or Team

This is definitely the most obvious example from the bunch. Being a part of a team teaches you how to work well with others, how to surpass your limitations, and the power of discipline. There’s nothing better than experiencing a shared victory.

3) Put your all into your Tests/ Projects/ Grades

My generation loves to go on about how tests are a waste of time and grades shouldn’t define a child’s potential. And I do not agree. You have to learn how to do the things you don’t care about in life to succeed. Life is hard and without work there’s no pleasure in it. It’s about how you can make things better, by bettering the lives of those around you. And learning responsibility and how to show up teaches you how to never give up.

4) Homework and how it connects to Professional Development Examples

What is homework? It’s activities and tasks you’re given to see if you understood what was covered in class. It’s an amazing opportunity to see how you like to learn and what you have to put yourself through to understand something larger than yourself.

It also puts you into the habit of reviewing new information. Hey, we’re not perfect and the majority of us wouldn’t understand something at first glance. Completing your homework helps you see how you should operate through life. So that you’re always in a position of being well-informed and understood.

5) Birds of a Feather 

In childhood, I learned how to pick my friends. Well honestly my parents did it but looking back I see their judgments were completely justified.

Think about your friends growing up. Where are they now and what have they become? I’m sure there are some patterns you’ve seen. Ones that will allow you to make some decisions today.

College Professional Development Examples

6) GPA standing

This is not about them, it’s about you. When you look at your GPA create a goal and strive for it.

Getting a 4.0 was not as hard as keeping it. Every semester I feared what was around the corner. Nonetheless, I graduated with a 4.0 and it taught me how relentless you really need when it comes to meeting your goals.

7) Work outside of school

The idea of going to college and just focusing on school is a beautiful path but many of us are unable to afford it. And it doesn’t set you up for the real world. You will always have multiple things that you’re juggling.

While you’re in college try to get a job or have an internship. The ability to multitask and balance a few things on your plate will help you build a level of endurance.

8) Leverage Events and your Teachers they’re living Professional Development Examples

College functions are not just school field trips. And your teachers are two seconds away from becoming your peers.

Take advantage of this time and learn what others are doing and how they’re doing it. There’s no other time (again) when you’ll be surrounded by people that are in the same boat as you.

9) Resume

This little paper matters a great deal and it does not get the respect it deserves.

Don’t think about your resume as a certification. It’s the story of your life. Take the time to learn and use the resources available to you in college to document your accomplishments.

10) Job Interviews

You don’t have to want a job to go for a job interview. Job interviews are a whole skillset of their own.

It’s important to learn how to read other people’s behavior while you’re improving your self-advocacy skills. Remember they’re not just interviewing you, you’re also interviewing them.

Work Professional Development Examples

11) Mentor

This is definitely a very intimidating topic of discussion. And it should not be!

A mentor is just someone you trust with advice regarding your development and future. See it’s actually an incredibly lovely interaction. And you get one by talking to different people about your life and career. Finally, you’ll find someone whose support you’d love to have on a regular basis. Don’t be scared to ask. It’s fun.

12) Champion

A champion is another awesome human being who believes in you and tells everyone else about it. It’s someone who is well respected and when they mention you, you win like 100 points.

Having a champion gives you opportunities. And you basically get a champion by always putting your best foot forward. You’ll never know where you’ll find one.

13) Relationship with your Boss

Once upon a time, I had a coworker that was just way too comfortable with our boss. Meaning an outsider would question if there was a level of respect there. And that happened once. Someone questioned the level of respect there.

Your relationship with your boss is an opportunity to learn how to collaborate, support, and communicate with a partner. A partner is someone you can build something with. Learn how to work within this dynamic so that you can work towards having partners and not bosses in life.

14) Relationship with Clients

We’re all serving someone. It doesn’t matter what your job or business is.

Being intentional and empathetic is the dream pairing when it comes to customer service. And these two skill sets will not only set you up to be seen as a trusted acquaintance but it’ll also make you happier in life. Learn how to connect with others and you’ll be better able to connect with yourself.

15) Relationship with Co-workers

Nothing can be done alone and ultimately you don’t work for yourself. Even if you have your own company, it’s to serve others.

The relationship you have with your co-workers is an example of every working relationship you’ll ever have in life. Look to your co-workers to learn how to ask, delegate and collaborate with others.

When you’re in Between Stages in your Life

Professional Development Examples

16) Raise your hand and Signup for Extra Credit

When you volunteer or do extra work or even help a friend, you have the opportunity to try something new without the pressure of commitment.

This is a great example of how you can develop professionally while finding the next step you want to take in life.

17) Network and Schedule Some Coffee Chats

Invite friends out for coffee or set up chats with friends. And go into these conversations with one thing in mind – what does this person’s life look like?

Become aware of what different opportunities exist. This will help you find a path that resonates with you.

18) Take a class/ join a club/ take a trip and see how this connects to Professional Development Examples

Again be on the lookout for the different opportunities that exist. Developing means constantly learning and experiencing new things.

And if you’re able to do it in a professional setting then it’ll be worth its weight in gold, as it saves you time and money.

19) Communicate what you’re Thinking

Sometimes we keep to ourselves what we’re feeling because it may seem unprofessional. There’s nothing unprofessional about sharing how you feel. The only thing that you need to work on is how you deliver your message.

Communicate how you’re feeling with those around you in a manner that is solution orientated, driven by facts, and only encapsulates your behavior. If people don’t know what you want, they won’t know how to help you.

20) Keep doing what you’re good at, while you’re Figuring out where you want to go Next

We all have a natural knack for something. Sometimes we think our natural abilities are a hindrance but it’s a gift for a reason. Use your natural abilities while you look for your next move. It helps those around you.

Examples of natural abilities can be a Type A person who is very organized or someone that has a calm demeanor and is incredibly productive in stressful situations. Whatever the case may be, remember that while you’re on your journey someone else is going down their own path. Always put your best foot forward and help others as you grow in your life and career.

This post was all about Professional Development Examples.

Any healthy work environment is going to want its employees to show up as their most authentic selves. After all how often do you hear about the importance of your personal and professional development? Nonetheless, it could be tricky figuring out how to balance your personal life with your work life and if either arena is lacking in something. This post has the eighteen questions you need to answer to see if you’re able to balance both your personal and professional development at work. 

We spend a lot of time at work. It’s an integral part of our lives but it’s not all of it. As someone who tends to work ten to twelve hours a day, I know this would be impossible if I wasn’t myself. I also know how important it is to check in on yourself and see how you’re doing. It’s the only thing that can save you from burning out.

After answering these eighteen questions you’ll be able to diagnose if there’s anything missing in your work-life balance. And if you discover there’s something missing or something that should be corrected, then you’ll know how to start working on it.

Essentially self-reflecting is the cure for an unhealthy work-life balance and questions are how it’ll be served on today’s menu.

This post is all about your personal and professional development at work and how you can measure it with these eighteen questions.

18 Questions on Personal and Professional Development

Personal and Professional Development

Questions Related to your Work Life

1) Do you have the opportunity to learn something new at work every day?

There is nothing worse than doing a job that is not challenging in the least. We are not robots and if the idea of spending your life on a repetitive action doesn’t bother you then please enjoy away.

If you are in an environment where you do not have the ability to do more, see more, or create more, then you should look for another job. Or you should ask to take on more responsibilities.

When you take the time to discover new ways to learn at work, you open yourself up to a world of opportunities. People will notice you and give you the chance to prove yourself.

2) Do you know what your strengths are, and what you have to offer?

Sometimes we work so hard and we never take inventory of what our failures and successes are. If you don’t do this you’ll never know where your strengths lie. And then you’ll never be able to capitalize on them.

As people make their way up the hierarchy of a company, they’ll find themselves doing more of what their good at and less of what they’re not able to accomplish very well.

Take stock of what’s easy for you and when people ask for your assistance. If you’re able to package your services in a way that benefits you and the requestor then you’ll both win. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself doing a repetitive task or you won’t have the opportunity to grow your strength.

3) Do you know what your weaknesses are, and do you have an opportunity to work on them? Is there an opportunity to work on your personal and professional development?

It’s almost important to know where you could use a bit of help. Yes, the goal is always to delegate or ask for assistance when it comes to your weakness but that doesn’t mean you’ll completely disassociate yourself from it.

Once you nail down what needs a bit more development, find safe places to work on the skill. This will allow you to better understand how to manage it in the future and keeps you involved with how your colleagues leverage the skillset.

The last thing you want is to not be in the room where it happens. Where decisions are made and opportunities are given.

4) Is there a role you aspire to have?

Look around your workplace. Is there anyone you’d like to be? Any jobs you could do better?

Having a role model is a great way to stay motivated. You could also model your career plan after their resume. Or at least take them out for a coffee and pick their brains.

If there isn’t someone like this in your immediate workplace then find someone outside your walls. That’s the beauty of the internet, information is accessible.

5) Do you have the resources you need to do your job?

Hopefully, you don’t have this issue but if you do then you need to find a solution otherwise you’re allowing a massive bolder to keep steamrolling you.

In your day-to-day functions do you have all the information you need to accomplish your tasks? If you don’t, then speak to your manager and ask to have exposure to what you need.

This may look like asking to participate in different meetings or having access to programs and applications your job utilizes to function. This one can definitely be solved with just a bit of communication.

6) Do you have the tools you need to do your job?

Look at the scale of how your business operates and distinguish whether your tools make your life easier or harder. Also, think about how you like to work and see if you can adapt your tools to perform your needs.

An easy way to think about this is how you organize yourself. Do you have access to excel if you’re dealing with numbers? Do you have access to Outlook or a calendar system if you’re constantly scheduling different matters? These are basic needs every office should provide you with.

However sometimes our needs are a little more specific. So make sure to calculate where you’re losing time and see what work can be outsourced or automated with tools.

7) Are training or learning opportunities available to you? Something related to your personal and professional development?

Employees are a company’s greatest asset and employees are provided with pay, benefits, and opportunities. Opportunities don’t just come in the form of career progression but also in access to education.

Check to see if your company has tuition reimbursement available or if there is training available for you to take. If anything you should ask your boss for the funds to take a class and let them know how this could bring value to the company.

When you don’t take the time and effort to grow, then eventually you’ll find yourself feeling stuck and life will become monotonous.

8) Do you have a mentor or someone that’s helping to guide you?

We could all use a friend or an ally to lean on. It helps you have clarity when you’re analyzing a situation and the advice you’ll receive is priceless.

Getting a mentor may seem intimidating but it depends on your approach. You’ll find more times than not that people are happy and willing to help others get to the top. So how do you start?

The best thing to do is invite someone out for a coffee and pick their brains. Do this with a few people and stay in contact. Slowly you’ll find someone you mesh well with and that wants to stay up-to-date with your development.

That’s how you get a mentor. You don’t ask someone to marry you on your first date.

9) Are there enough hours in a day to do your job?

Yes we all get busy at work and yes we all have downtime but those moments should be the exception, not the norm.

If you find yourself starting work early and leaving late because you’re trying to keep up with deadlines then you are headed for disaster. That is a recipe for hating your job and life. Take a look at how you can better manage your time or take things off your plate so that you can work normal hours.

If you have the opposite problem where you have too much downtime then look at who your business is serving and how it can be done better.

Personal and Professional Development

Questions Related to your Personal Life at work

1) Do you feel like you can be yourself at work?

Do you monitor everything you say for fear of saying the wrong thing? Do you dress in a way that is uncomfortable for you? Do you feel safe sharing personal stories?

If any of these seem to be the case then either your company is not lucky enough to have you or you’re scared of being yourself in fear of being rejected. The best thing you can do is open yourself little by little to some trusted colleagues and see where it takes you. It might surprise you how quickly people will nurture you for who you are.

2) Are you able to collaborate in a way that your thoughts and your colleagues’ ideas are accounted for?

Is anyone listening to what you have to say or are they just hearing you? If you feel like your ideas and thoughts are not being validated that’s usually because of the individual you’re specifically trying to connect with.

If that’s the case share your experience with them by saying something along the lines of, “I really enjoyed our conversation on X. Do you mind giving me some feedback on Y? I’d appreciate any insight you could share.” Then from there, you’ll quickly see if it was an innocent misunderstanding or an HR issue.

3) Do you see a difference between where you started and where you are? Do you like what you see? Do you like who you’re becoming?

We’re all trying to become the best version of ourselves.

Take a look at yourself and think do I like how I treat and work with people? If we’re unhappy with this connection then do something about it. Nothing is more important than your team and when you take care of your team, you take care of yourself and the job. We don’t live in a vacuum.

4) Before work do you feel energized or defeated?

Sometimes you’re not a morning person because you haven’t found the right routine or sometimes it’s because you really dislike your job.

So experiment and find the best morning routine in the world. If that doesn’t do it for you then start looking for another job. One bad morning is one thing, but if every morning is a bad morning then your job is the issue.

5) After work do you feel energized or defeated?

Obviously, we’re all tired after work. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t be carrying the weight of the workday on your shoulders. Find ways to decompress and schedule fun activities for yourself.

After work, I personally like to take a 45-minute walk to let go of the day. Something that simple can help you separate your work life from your personal life. The worst is when everything blends together.

6) What do your evenings and weekends look like? How does personal and professional development relate to your free time?

Have you ever spent a weekend worried about a meeting taking place on Monday? It’s natural if it’s your first time but if these nerves become a habit then we need to work on our boundaries. Your time outside of work is for you to live your life.

Don’t become a prisoner of your responsibilities. Have boundaries in place letting people know when and where they can contact you. Otherwise, make sure you fill your evenings and weekends doing something that brings you joy.

7) Do you have goals outside of work that you’re actively pursuing?

It’s important to have a career goal. To know what you’re life will look like and all the factors that encompass it. But if you’re going to work hard then you need to play hard and have hobbies that can satisfy the different sides of you.

Without outside interests, your life will become dominated by one topic and you close yourself off from the world and you narrow your limitations.

8) Do you have a balance in your life? If your job is very analytical and encourages you to use your mental capabilities are you physical in your free time? If your job is labor-heavy, do you use your mental capabilities in your free time?

Humans have a whole body and what you don’t use you lose. If you become incredibly athletic and don’t read or work on your mental capabilities then you’ll have a difficult time connecting with other human beings or even yourself. There’s power in observing and articulating what you see.

If you’re a complete genius but never use your body, then you’ll lose the stamina and endurance to journey through the outdoors. The things you’ll see and physically experience will be limited.

Let’s not allow ourselves to have limitations.

9) When was the last time you thought this was fun? And how often do you incorporate that into your life?

We all have moments where we smile or laugh so hard it hurts. This is the kind of behavior that needs to become a daily practice. Without it, life would be insufferable.

Above all make sure you make time to enjoy happiness every day.

This post was all about personal and professional development.

 

We all have a very clear image of what a businessman or woman looks like. There’s a level of mystic there. And it’s not their money or what they look like. It’s the full package. It’s professionalism. This post is going to dig deep into what that means and why it’s sexy.

There are two kinds of office workers. There are the power players with the grand roles, who ooze charm and are usually the company’s golden child. Then there’s everyone else. And everyone else is fighting a rat race. I think it’s obvious who you’d rather be.

After working in corporate America for a few years, it’s become clear to me what encompasses these heavy hitters. And news flash it’s not their diploma. Don’t get me wrong they’re all very well educated but it’s not that slip of paper that speaks for them.

If you’re looking to become someone who leads a platoon of people, constructs an empire, and changes the world… for the better of course. Then read this post so you can start adopting these traits now.

This post is all about what makes up professionalism and how it’s one sexy mother.

Professionalism

1) Being Decisive

Making a decision is not an easy feat.

The ability to absorb and understand your options in a way that allows you to determine what is best is something that takes practice. You can’t be rash and just follow your first thought. But you also can’t meddle away at an idea until you’ve profoundly confused yourself. It’s a complete art form and a necessary characteristic if you want to embody a professional.

A professional is a leader who people look to for guidance. And you can’t exactly guide others if you’re having trouble guiding yourself. There are also a ton of great things that come your way when you’re decisive. It opens you up to a world of opportunities. People will want to work with you. And you’ll have the ability to achieve more for the world and in turn yourself.

Once you make a decision you know when and where you’re going and eventually, you figure out how to do it all. If that doesn’t scream I’m in control of my life and I’m ready to take it on then I don’t know what does.

And having control is very sexy. It means you know your worth and you know how to use it.

2) Well Dressed

Being well-dressed means knowing how to present yourself. This is not about vanity.

We all play a role in life and we all know what those roles look like. A nurse wears scrubs, a lawyer has a briefcase, a banker has a tie and an artist has paint on their clothes.

These are visuals that signal to yourself and others what you dedicate yourself to and who you are. It’s a badge and it tells others how they can connect with you. Once you embrace your role and have fun dressing up for your part then you’ll become a magnet.

More work will find its way to you. People will trust you. And most importantly you’ll build momentum. This momentum will allow you to find your groove, your way of doing things, and this rhythm you invent is how charm transcends itself.

And charm is so darn sexy. It elevates the experiences people share with you and makes the smallest of tasks a million times more amusing. And it all starts with how you dress.

3) Confidence

This is probably the most obvious item on the list. I don’t really have to express why confidence is sexy, so instead, I’ll share how it impacts professionalism in the workplace.

When you work with other human beings you quickly discover what everyone’s comfort level is. There are those who want to be told what to do, there are those who like to do their own thing and there are those that are neutral. But eventually, we all need to work together and agree on one approach.

Someone who is confident will speak up for themselves and articulate what their point of view is and why. They don’t need permission to do this. They want to contribute to the conversation. And this is what makes the world go round.

A person who is confident has the ability to see what they want and go after it, in the most respectful of ways. Without this there would be no progress and growth is sexy.

I mean think of it this way. Do you like the internet? It took a lot of progress and growth for us to get to where we are now.

4) Organized

Organization is a practice that keeps us all together. Without it, no one would know how to play the game of life and there would be no point in anything we do.

As a professional, you need to be organized in order to keep track of what’s going on. When you’re able to plan and measure what you do, then you can work towards goals. And as you accomplish your goals, they’ll get bigger and better. Eventually, you’ll find success. This is how empires are built. People become addicted to reaching success and repeating the process over and over again.

Being able to see and take advantage of the things you can accomplish is so incredibly sexy because it means you can have anything you want in this world. And the realization that you don’t have any limitations casts a beam of power over you. You’re a force to be reckoned with.

In an office this means, everyone wants you on their team. Because you are able to make things happen.

5) Communication Skills

You ever meet someone that was so incredibly beautiful but then they opened their mouth and you thought “no thank you”? Or you ever meet someone that was ok looking but then they started to speak and you were left completely enamored?

Being able to connect with others verbally or in writing is an art form. And I don’t mean speaking grammatically correct or being able to recite poetry. I mean your relationship with humanity.

Your communication skills encompass your awareness of the world around you, your sensibility when it comes to inclusion and empathy for others, how you demonstrate respect, what interest you may have in others, if you’re able to listen and how you relate.

You’re communication skills ultimately dictate what every relationship in your life is going to be like, including the one with yourself. Needless to say, this is important in a workplace because you need to be able to connect with others.

As for sex appeal, who doesn’t want to be heard, understood, and respected? Communication skills allow you to draw people out of their shells and help them become the best version of themselves.

6) Collaboration

No man is an island and no one can do everything alone. We live in a world built on societies and communities. It’s a beautiful thing.

Professionals are people that know how to work with each other and when I say work with each other I don’t just mean just talking to one another. A great collaborator is someone who is able to heighten people’s strengths and assist them with their weaknesses. They are able to decipher what everyone is good at and connect everyone together.

It’s amazing when you put these people in the middle of a situation, they’re able to see the invisible threads that connect us all together and leverage them in a way that allows us all to succeed.

That is the kind of knight in shining armor we all need. The one that passes you the sword to defeat the dragon. Not the one that helps you run away from your problems.

7) Dependable

Last but not least we all want to know what’s in store for us. And when you’re dependable that builds trust and that leads to strength.

Imagine you’re invited to present at a super important meeting. The heads of the company see something special in you. And all that’s left is for you to present your thoughts on a topic your teams have been working on. You’ve done all the work and you know exactly what to do.

That meeting could lead to a promotion, landing a deal, or saving the company. Now, what would you think if I said those opportunities are available to you every day, but you just don’t see them? Well, that’s the case. People at work have a better idea of who you are than you could ever imagine. And you’ll only see it with time after you’ve proven that you’re dependable.

That’s why being dependable and trustworthy is one sexy mother. It’s your silent savior. It doesn’t come down from the heavens with a large billowing cape. It’s your own personal bodyguard that watches you from across the room.

This post was all about the sexiness of professionalism, professionalism skills, and professionalism in the workplace.