Eight Ways to Do Professional Development Now

This article originally appeared in CompTIAWorld magazine’s fourth issue. Click here to view the full issue.

We all know that professional development is an important key to career success, but between deadlines and meetings at work, not to mention personal commitments, it can be hard to find time for learning. And if you haven’t cracked a book since college, you may have a different idea of what learning looks like. Thanks to technology, professional development no longer has to mean going to a class or a conference. Whether you’re preparing for an IT certification, earning continuing education units or simply bettering yourself, you can now learn from the comfort of your home or office, or even on the go. Here are eight ways you can make learning fit your lifestyle.

1. Understand What Works for You

   To best retain what you learn, you need to know how and when you learn best. Do you prefer instructor-led training or self-study? For many people, a combination of these is key, but you may get better results from one versus the other. As for when to learn, think about your energy levels during the day. A night owl probably won’t learn as well before work, and an early riser might be tapped out before an evening class is over.

2. Leverage Technology

   Apps, videos, eBooks, eLearning and personalized experiences abound in the professional development space. CompTIA now offers official study guides, as well as the CertMaster product line to help IT pros learn technical skills, prepare for certification exams and reinforce on-the-job skills. And CompTIA AITP members have access to a curated library of Lynda.com videos and playlists, where they can learn professional and technical skills from anywhere, at any time.

3. Learn on the Go

   Whether you’re using technology or traditional textbooks, keep your materials with you – you never know when you might have 10 to 15 minutes to learn. Study flashcards, read a chapter, listen to a podcast or watch a video on your lunch break, during your commute or while you wait for the doctor.

4. Diversify Your Learning Medium

   Who says all learning needs to be visual? Audio learning can be just as effective, especially if it’s reinforcing things you’ve already studied. Listen to podcasts, stream videos or even record yourself reading so you can listen in the car, out for walks or while doing chores.

5. Carve Out Small Pockets of Study Time

   It may be hard to find hours of time each day, but you can probably find 30 to 60 minutes a few times a week. Just like making time to go to the gym, you may need to make time for professional development. Your end-goal will also determine how much time you need to carve out. If you’re preparing for a certification, you might need to block all or most of your lunch hours for a set period of time before your exam. For general professional development, maybe you wake up an hour early one day a month to watch an on-demand webinar or dive into a blog.

6. Focus on the Task at Hand

   When you block out time to learn, make sure it’s distraction free. Compartmentalize your time and focus on what you’re doing, not on a project that you need to work on later or a family issue you’re dealing with. Turn off notifications on your phone and computer so you can make the most of your brief window for learning.

7. Freshen Up

   Switch up where and how you learn by using different tools and studying in different places – at home, at the library, at coffee shops. At home, set up a dedicated workspace that’s free of distractions so that you instinctively know that place is meant for learning.

8. Bring Training to You

   If your entire team needs a refresher, CompTIA’s Training Strategies Group can bring training to you. This instructor-led training is customizable, scalable and proven, with some of the world’s highest certification rates. Training Strategies Group offers IT certification training (CompTIA and otherwise), professional development training and train-the-trainer courses.