Making the Most of Career Development Programs

Making the Most of Career Development ProgramsMaking the Most of Career Development ProgramsEmployers often highlight their career development programs as a way to boost their recruitment and retention efforts. Thats because so many job candidates and employees place a premium on companies that devote time, money and resources to helping employees learn and grow.But are you taking full advantage of your companys training options? Or, if youre a student or recent graduate, are you factoring in development opportunities when evaluating prospective employers?You should be.Today, career development programs go beyond classroom instruction to include a wide range of activities, including individual coaching, ratgebering, job shadowing and more.Heres helpful information on ways you can use a companys career development program to your advantageLook for companies that value career developmentIf youre searching for a new role, be sure the companies you are considering have career development programs for their employees. While salary and benefits are key concerns, its also important to factor in an employers commitment to investing in your career growth. Robert Half, for example, has a Management Training Program for recent college graduates that offers intensive training. The program notlage only enables participants to grow their skills, it also paves the way to ample advancement opportunities in the areas of recruiting and business development.APPLY NOWFocus on your individual development planAt many firms, managers discuss long-term career goals at least once a year with their direct reports. These annual or semiannual reviews can seem like a chore, but they help significantly with career development - when youre proactive and approach them with the right attitude.In other words, dont view your individual goals as a mere checklist you have to get through during the year. Rather, work with your boss to set meaningful objectives that will boost your performance and help you grow toward the location you hope to one day land. For example, if you aspire to become a manager, ask if you can include leading a project team in your goals, along with your productivity and efficiency objectives.Also, dont wait for your annual review to assess how youre doing. Stay in close contact with your manager about your career development plan. Ask to meet at least once a quarter to discuss your progress and to explore new initiatives that might help you reach your objectives.Use career development programs to find a mentorEducation can take many forms. Lots of career development programs include a mentorship component. Mentoring allows you to learn from someone who has already mastered a particular skill. In addition to enhancing your soft skills or technical abilities, a mentor can also help you learn key insights about the business. If youre lucky, your company already has a formal mentorship program, in which they train mentors and match them with interested e mployees. But even if thats not the case, you can create informal mentoring relationships.First, explain to your manager that youre looking for a mentor who can help guide your professional development, and ask if theres anyone in the management ranks who might be interested.Another option is to set up a mentoring partnership with another employee in your department. Maybe youre an expert in a certain software program, and a coworker is a specialist in a different program. Pair up with that person and school each other in your respective areas of expertise.Seek job-shadowing and volunteer opportunitiesIf youre considering a few different career paths in your company, request to spend time with senior employees in each of those positions. Job shadowing is an aspect of many career development programs that allows you to see first-hand what a role is like and what skills are necessary to do the job. With that knowledge, you can work on developing those skills - or you might decide tha t the career path is not for you.In addition, keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities at work that allow you to hone new skills. For instance, if you want to work on your organizational skills, consider stepping up for an event-planning group. All it takes is a willingness to learn and a little assertiveness to move your career along the right path.