Wednesday 27 December 2017

Is Professional Development One-time Thing or a Continuous Process?

You might have completed your formal education, secured a degree and pursued the practical training before stepping on the threshold of your career. But is that enough for the rest of your professional life? If you think so, you are mistaken. Professional life is a journey and at no point in time should you say that you have enough knowledge. Otherwise, you will definitely stagnate, and find that those who were behind you will eventually surpass you.

Even people with years of experience need to constantly enhance their knowledge and skills to withstand the growing competition. Continuing with your professional development throughout your career ensures you are competent and ready to take on any challenge. Professional development benefits one’s own growth along with the growth of the company.

There are professional courses in Singapore which help in upgrading your current knowledge and skill-set to shape a better future. Professional development benefits the company, individual and the profession. It also benefits the public in receiving better services.

Following are some of the key benefits of Continuous Professional Development (CPD):

1. Keeps You Updated

CPD ensures that your skill-set is at par with the current scenario and standards of the industry so that you don’t lag behind others in the competition. It also helps in enhancing or upgrading your knowledge so that you deliver the best to your company, clients, and community. CPD will keep you informed and up-to-date about the changing trends of the industry.

2. Enhances Productivity and Efficiency

CPD enhances your productivity. It will enable you to make a more significant contribution to your company and team. It helps in reaching new positions where you can lead, mentor, guide and influence others.

3. Assists in Securing Better Jobs

CPD open the door for new opportunities. It offers a chance to experiment with something new and unusual from what you have been doing for years. It makes you a better professional.

4. Secures Your Future as a Qualified Professional

If you work in high-risk areas, CPD will contribute to improved protection, sustainable environment and quality of life. It also helps in reducing the employee turnover rate if organizations pave the path for professional development of employees.

If you live in Singapore, then you must count yourself as the luckiest person in this entire world as the Singaporean government offers a golden opportunity to enhance your knowledge and give a boost to your career. Singaporeans can pursue professional development courses in Singapore by seeking benefits from the SkillsFuture credit. They can enrol to their favorite courses by using their SkillsFuture credit and secure their dream job with great ease.

What are the Quintessential Qualities of a Great Leader?

The common misconception about leadership is dominance and suppression. However, these are very negative perceptions which the leader himself should stay away from. It takes a lot more than just ‘control’, Leadership is about setting an example for others, showing them the correct direction and being a torchbearer on the new path. More than a motivator, a leader needs to be an inspiration for his team.

It is often said that leaders are born and not trained. But there are specific leadership courses which can help in carving your natural skills and utilizing them more efficiently for professional growth. A great leader is one who works towards personal growth as well as the growth of the organization.

What are the traits of a successful leader?

1. Emotional intelligence

It is a pre-requisite of a successful leader as EI helps in understanding and managing emotions/feelings of themselves as well as others. If a leader knows how his team thinks and feels, he can find out better ways to communicate or motivate. The leader needs to empathize with his co-workers to understand their point of view.

2. Confidence

The leader should be confident and aware of what he is doing. A diffident leader will never fetch followers. A leader who is himself uncertain about a project or policy will not be able to convince others about its feasibility.

3. Courageous

Leaders need to take the risk of spontaneous decisions which requires courage. A sceptical leader will fail in situations which require crisis management and quick decision making. He should be courageous enough to try new ideas and be prepared for failure.

4. Personal goals in sync with organization

It is the responsibility of a leader to focus on the policies and objectives of the company along with the interest of co-workers in mind. He needs to maintain a healthy balance between the two for optimum growth of employees as well as the employer.

You can take resort to leadership training in Singapore with help of the SkillsFuture credit offered by the government to Singaporeans. The training will help in increasing your productivity as realize your professional goals sooner than expected. Prepare yourself for a better future and enrol to a leadership training course right now to make a smart move towards career growth.