Continuous professional development or CPD is important in many industries and there are different ways that this can be undertaken. In some circumstances such as in education and the medical sector, it is a compulsory part of holding a job in these sectors. It is also important to ensure that you are keeping on top of new updates in your industry to help keep you ahead of the curve and competitive in the market that you work in. It can also help you to take promotion opportunities and move up your chosen career ladder.
CPD can take a number of different forms and these can include.
Courses – these can take the form of courses that help you to perform better in your job, such as the Train The Trainer Courses that you can get from www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/courses/train-the-trainer. They can be long courses that see you gain more qualifications or it could be shorter courses that keep you up to date on changes in your industry.
Reading – finding books and magazines, as well as reports and papers that are written about your industry, can be another way for you to learn new things and further your knowledge in your chosen industry.
Sabbaticals – taking time out to further your skills can work towards your CPD and these are popular in high-pressure industries and for those people working in high-level positions.