You’re a talented professional with a lot to offer any company, but continued learning is the key to lasting success. To land the best city of Chicago jobs, you must constantly work to polish your skills to perfection.
Things change fast in business, so skills considered essential today might become obsolete a few years from now. Avoid having an outdated resume by taking these steps to make learning part of your regular routine.
Five Ways to Continuously Develop Your Professional Skills
Request Feedback
One of the best ways to learn and grow, asking someone you trust — i.e., your boss or a co-worker — for feedback on areas where you excel and could use improvement will be monumentally helpful. Check in at regular intervals to map your progress, so you can see how far you’ve come and what else you need to do to reach your goal.
Volunteer for Additional Projects
Step outside your comfort zone and ask your boss to assign you to projects that wouldn’t normally fall into your queue. This will allow you to broaden your horizons by gaining exposure to different parts of the business. You’ll learn new skills and might even discover a passion you didn’t know you had.
Attend Lunch and Learns
Giving up your lunch break to listen to a colleague lead a lunch and learn isn’t always the most appetizing move, but you can definitely learn a thing or two. You work with a lot of really intelligent people with experiences different from your own, so learn from them.
Join a Professional Association
Not only are they great for networking, professional associations also provide ample learning opportunities. Plenty of groups have local Chicago chapters — i.e., the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers — so find one that meets your needs and become a member.
Go to Training Sessions, Conferences and Seminars
If your employer has the budget, take advantage of every opportunity you have to attend training sessions, conferences and seminars. Consider footing the bill yourself if you can’t get the company to sponsor it, because going to industry events is a great way to develop your skills and stay in the know about cutting-edge advancements that should be on your radar.
Ready to take your engineering or manufacturing career to the next level? Premium Staffing, Inc. is here to help you find a position that perfectly aligns with your goals for the future, while preserving your confidentiality. Contact us today to get started!