Interview with a Professional about their Professional Development
I met with D.W. in his well organized but chaotic office at
a local college. His greeting was
amiable and I immediately felt at ease.
I have known D for a few years having served on a couple of committees
together, but have never had the opportunity to build a collaborative
relationship. I certainly plan to now!
Over the course of two hours, D discussed his past life as a
Sheriff and his current life as a college administrator – and EVERYTHING in
between! We discussed “stackable
credentials” and “transferrable skills”.
We compared experiences that were similar in our professional journeys,
such as being adjunct instructors and committee work. After the interview, I reflected on my own professional development journey and
plotted both DW’s and mine on separate charts below.
Our two experiences have similarities and differences. Throughout my career I have remained in various forms of education, where he has had three different careers. Early on in our careers our professional development paths look parallel. We both took advantage of on-the-job training experiences and we both invested in higher education to advance our careers. We worked on committees and work groups to gain leadership experience, and we have received recognition and promotion as a result of our efforts.
During mid-career Dave took a completely different turn from law enforcement to corporate management, and then again to higher education. Each time he took a different job it was at the encouragement of someone who believed he could do it. Likewise, peers, friends, and family members encouraged me to take that leap of faith when the opportunity for career advancement presented itself. He built outside connections, I built inside connections.
Today, D is involved with many more community
organizations and outreach than I. My outreach looks within to support the
institution I serve, whereas D looks outward to advance the institution he
serves. Most of that is because of the different roles
we play at the college. The programs
under his oversight require community funding, government grants, and local support. My constituents are the students and faculty and my role as an administrator is to connect them with the support they need to be successful.
The interviewing experience led me to the following three conclusions about professional development experiences (PDE):
Our two experiences have similarities and differences. Throughout my career I have remained in various forms of education, where he has had three different careers. Early on in our careers our professional development paths look parallel. We both took advantage of on-the-job training experiences and we both invested in higher education to advance our careers. We worked on committees and work groups to gain leadership experience, and we have received recognition and promotion as a result of our efforts.
During mid-career Dave took a completely different turn from law enforcement to corporate management, and then again to higher education. Each time he took a different job it was at the encouragement of someone who believed he could do it. Likewise, peers, friends, and family members encouraged me to take that leap of faith when the opportunity for career advancement presented itself. He built outside connections, I built inside connections.
The interviewing experience led me to the following three conclusions about professional development experiences (PDE):
- PDE’s abound if you are open to them, and the come in all varieties.
- PDE’s are about the relationships you build during the experience, or as a result of the experience.
- PDE’s are about relating the skills to the advancement or enhancement of your career and/or personal goals.
So, what was the best advice from D? When choosing a PDE,
decide what outcome it will serve; job related training, career advancement, or
personal growth and enrichment. Having
opportunities for all three types of development are key to a well-balanced
career and overall well-being. Some PDE’s
choose YOU and some you CHOOSE. Even
that pesky safety training can be useful if YOU are the one to come upon a
dangerous situation. Here’s what I learned from D's experience:
- Stay ENGAGED – Take advantage of opportunities within your department to advance your career. Volunteer on projects and serve on committees. Surround yourself with co-workers who are likewise engaged.
- Stay POSITIVE – Even when things are hectic (and if you review his timeline, you will see that for 20 years he was in the Sherriff’s Department!) find some peace. Make time for family and friends. Build relationships that help you through the tough times. Take on “fun” projects at work to keep it “light”.
- Build your COMMUNITY - There is community building when working together to solve problems. Collaborate with others both inside and outside your organization. Learning from your peers on group projects adds transferable skills to your tool kit. Being associated with community organizations not only adds to your resume, it “feels good”.
- Think FORWARD – What’s next? Keep moving forward. Listen to those who say you can do it, because you most likely CAN. Having a can-do attitude builds confidence. Take classes and training to increase your skillset so that when the opportunity arises for promotion you are ready.
Timelines
Sounds like you had a great conversation with the person you interviewed. Yours and his experiences underscore how powerful on-the-job learning and mentoring can be in developing professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It looks like both of you thrived in formal professional development settings - whether connected to a degree program or a stackable credential. Participation engenders more participation if a person has been successful. Of course, that raises the question of how to design professional development or continuing education for people who are reluctant participants. Also very interesting to see the emphasis you both identified for life-balance in continuing professional development. Both of you worked in professional areas in which continuing professional development had a high value as well - and budgets and connections to other providers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insights.