Professional Development for Engineers

Professional Development
& Its Importance
Professional Development
 OBJECTIVES
 Define & explain professional development.
 Create professional development plan.
 State the phases and develop strategies of
effective professional development.
 - refers to continuing education and career training after
a person has entered the workforce in order to help them
develop new skills, stay up-to-date on current trends, and
advance their career.

- can help today's engineers that are looking to improve

through educational opportunities and advanced degrees.
 Continuing Education
Enrollment in formal degree
programs, courses, or
workshops.
Pursuing certificates,
accreditations or other
credentials through
educational programs.
 Participation in Professional
Organizations
Coordinating events sponsored by the
organization.
Serving as an officer, board member, or
committee member.
Attending local, regional, national, and
international meetings, conferences and
workshops sponsored by professional
organizations.
 Research
Conducting research
Presenting findings of research to others
Presenting papers at conferences and workshops
 Improve job performance
Improving existing skills.
Keeping up with technology, systems, processes.
Learning about new developments in your field.
 Increased duties and responsibilities
 Taking on new challenges in current position,
projects, long or short-term assignments.

 Skill Based Training

 Allows participants to learn conceptual information
or necessary behaviors.
 Practice learning the new information or behaviors,
and receive feedback on their performance.
 Job Assignments
 Learning by doing – by working on real problems and
dilemmas.
 May be an entirely new job, a responsibility added to
an existing job such as a short-term project.
 Something that stretches people, pushes them out
of their comfort zones, and requires them to think
and act differently.
 Building a Knowledge Base
 The purpose of this phase is to acquire new
knowledge and information and to build a
conceptual understanding of it.

 Activities in this phase might include goal setting,

assessing needs, participating in interactive
workshops, and forming a study group.
 Observing Models and Class.
The purpose of this phase is to develop a practical
understanding of the activity.

In this phase, one might participate in activities such

as peer observation, co-planning, and listening to or
watching audio and video examples.
 Reflecting on Your Practice
The purpose of this phase is to analyze your
professional practice on the basis of new knowledge.

Activities in this phase might include the use of

journals or other cases for discussion and reflection.
 Changing Your Practice
 The purpose of this phase is to translate your new
knowledge into individual and collaborative plans and
actions for change.

 Activities might include action research, peer-

coaching, support groups, and professional
development.
 Gaining and Sharing Expertise
 The purpose of this phase is to continue to refine
your professional practice, learning with and from
colleagues while also sharing your practical wisdom
with your peers.

 Activities in this phase might include team planning,

mentoring or partnering with a colleague, and
participating in a network.
 One of the hardest things about learning a new skill
is finding the time to do it.
 In fact, research has shown that many of us spend
72 hours a week working, leaving precious little
spare time each day!
 So, here are eight practical strategies that you can
use to prioritize your professional development,
even when you have a busy work schedule:
 Focus on Objectives
You'll need a strong sense of purpose when it comes
to drawing up your learning objectives.
Start by listing the skills and knowledge that you most
want to learn.
Express these as SMART goals .
When you've done this, break them down into long-
and short-term goals that you can add to your daily To-
Do List or Action Program .
 Manage Obstacles and Distractions
Identify possible obstacles that might make it difficult
for you to stick to your learning schedule.
Then, go through each obstacle
and brainstorm strategies that will help you to
overcome it.
 Make Learning a Habit
When you make learning a habit, you'll more likely
make a positive, long-lasting change, and achieve the
goals that you set yourself.
Do this by building learning into your daily routine.
Schedule time – however little – each day for learning,
and stick to it!
 Set Boundaries
 One of the biggest distractions is often other people.
 Set aside some time in your lunch break to read up
on a new industry development or complete an
online test.
 People may not realize this, so the work requests
keep on coming.
 Make Every Minute Count
Maximize the impact of every moment that you have
available.
Start by taking a look at your To-Do List. What could
you realistically achieve in the time available?
Make sure that you focus your energy effectively.
 Learn at Your Best
Many people opt to work on their professional
development after they've completed everything else.
Sschedule your learning for times of the day when
your energy levels are high and you're more likely to
be "in the zone ."
For example, you may feel a little slow straight after
lunch, but you might be buzzing with energy in the
morning.
 Find Your Own Learning Style
We all have our own way of learning. Some people
prefer to read and take notes. Others are more active
– they learn by doing.
When you identify your own personal learning style,
you'll be able to learn more efficiently and in the way
that works best for you.
Time spent slogging through a textbook, for example,
would be time wasted if you find videos more
engaging.
 Collaborate With Others
Learning alongside others can often make the
experience more fun and engaging.
They can help you to stay motivated, and provide
advice and support.
Social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter can also
help you to find other professionals in your industry
who can offer training and advice.
 https://www.google.com/search?q=Professional+development&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_k66f56P0AhU-
rlYBHaioCckQ1QJ6BAgLEAE&biw=1024&bih=487&dpr=1.88

 https://www.slideserve.com/engeduaust/professional-development-for-graduate-
engineers/?utm_source=slideserve&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=auto+related+load

 https://pdhacademy.com/2018/01/24/professional-development-engineers-tools-success/

 https://slcontrols.com/en/advantages-of-continuing-professional-development-for-engineers/
 Importance of
Professional Development
 OBJECTIVES
 Understand the importance of professional
development.
 Provide the students tips on how to improve
professionally.
 Appreciate the importance & benefits of
professional development.
 This will give the professionals an
opportunity to learn and apply new
knowledge and skills that can help
them in their job and further their
career.

 This is all about building your skill set

and knowledge base for your field.
 Professionals that engage in professional development will
feel more confident knowing that they have the skills
needed to succeed in their line of work.

 Become better workers through professional development.

 By learning the right skills for their career, professionals

will be more productive and efficient, thus helping the
business for which they work succeed.
 Can open the doors to new opportunities for professionals.
 Relevant practical qualifications that will impress current
and prospective employers.
 If a professional is struggling to get promoted to a higher,
more lucrative position, professional development may
help him or her secure this promotion.
 Improves learning ability.
 Promotes independent learning.
 Demonstrates ambition and commitment to professional
self-improvement.

1. Make New Connections
 Networking is an excellent way to progress along
your career path, whether that's by finding new job
opportunities, gaining insight into the kinds of training
you could be taking part in, or meeting an
experienced individual who is willing to act as a
confidante or mentor.
 Recognize and appreciate that every person you
meet - both professionally and personally - has value
to add to your life.
2. Get Mentor
 Mentoring can take the form of encouragement,
sharing anecdotes and wisdom, and even
challenging the mentee to reach and exceed certain
goals.

 On good days, this can help you to maximise your

productivity and progress, while on bad days it can
help to keep you moving forwards at all.
3. Improve Your Time Management
 Time management is not about doing more; it's about
knowing there's a limit on how much you can do.

 No matter how driven, motivated and productive you

might be, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you
need to keep some of them to eat, sleep and relax.
4. Polish Your Soft Skills
 People often associate 'soft skills' with effective
communication, but that's only one part of polishing
your transferable and interpersonal capabilities.

 This can include any skills you could take to a job

outside of your current industry, and anything that
makes you work well with others.
5. Read More Books
 Books are a great way to learn from other people's
experiences, without having to leave your office or
armchair - and with the advent of ebooks, they're
cheaper and easier to get a hold of than ever before.
6. Add to Your IT Skills
 By improving your digital skills on a continuing basis,
you can keep your computer abilities up to date,
including new and emerging digital technologies as
they become more widely adopted.
7. Set Some Goals
 Goals are an essential part of professional
development.

 They allow you to define what you are working

towards and set a deadline by which you would like
to make a certain amount of progress.
 Setting goals to help you progress in your career can
be important to finding fulfillment in your job and
increasing your skills and salary.
 There are many examples of professional goals that
apply to any industry, ranging from smaller, day-to-
day improvements in your current role, to long-term
plans where you aim to make major career changes.
 Understanding these examples can be the key to
setting smarter goals and reaching them within your
timeframe.
 Professional goals are anything you hope to achieve
during your professional career.
 These can be skills, milestones, career changes or salaries.
 They also can be goals you wish to accomplish personally
or ones you want to help your company or industry
achieve.
 Setting goals can help provide a more clear path for your
career and allows you to track your progress.
 One of the more common
methods for setting attainable
goals is SMART, an acronym that
stands for specific, measurable,
attainable, relevant and timely.
 Setting goals using these criteria
can help you make ones you can
easily achieve by clarifying your
ideas and helping you use your
time and resources efficiently.
1. Gain an internship
 Gaining an internship with a large company in your
industry can be a great opportunity.
 With an internship, you can learn important industry
skills, practices and methods and increase your
professional network.
 You can also gain valuable experience to add to your
resume, which can make you a more appealing
candidate when you begin your job search.
2. Increase your core skills
 Consider what your core skills are in your job, as well as
the soft and hard skills you can't perform your job
without.
 You can increase and enhance those skills through
classes, mentors or internships. You can also use
personal time to pursue new core skills to increase your
employability.
3. Obtain higher credentials
 One of the most common professional goals is
obtaining higher credentials in your industry, which
can create new employment and salary
opportunities.
 Higher credentials also can help establish industry
credibility.
4. Obtain a leadership position
 Obtaining a leadership position can help you
enhance your teamwork, collaboration and
leadership skills and establish your credibility in the
industry.
 It's important to determine whether the company you
work for offers such opportunities or if you might
need to pursue a career change.
5. Learn a new industry tool
 Advancing technology often provides new and
innovative tools for industries.
 Learning one of these new tools can give you a
competitive advantage over other job candidates and
may allow you to earn a higher salary.
 Consider the latest industry technology and pursue
opportunities to learn more about it or how to use
these tools.
6. Set a new industry standard
 Many professionals seek to innovate their industry
with new industry standards.
 Innovation can help you establish your credentials
and make you a more suitable candidate for future
employment.
 Try researching new methods of performing your job
that can increase productivity, employee safety or the
quality of products and services.
7. Set a new industry standard
 Many professionals seek to innovate their industry
with new industry standards.
 Innovation can help you establish your credentials
and make you a more suitable candidate for future
employment.
 Try researching new methods of performing your job
that can increase productivity, employee safety or the
quality of products and services.
8. Read more books about your career path
 Books can be helpful resources for developing
professional skills and learning about new industry
practices or tools.
 You can set a goal to read more books related to
your career path or industry to expand your
knowledge and skill set.
9. Create a new work habit
 Creating new work habits can help you be more
productive and create better habits for professional
development.
 New habits can support professional development
and increase your employability.
 https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/blog/6-ways-develop-professionally-2018/

 https://www.iacet.org/news/iacet-blog/blog-articles/7-elements-of-effective-professional-development1/

 https://www.ahaworldcampus.com/b/what-is-professional-development

 https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/examples-of-professional-goals

 https://www.google.com/search?q=importance+of+professional+development+for+engineers&source=hp
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