If you work in higher education and have access to professional development funds, you know how valuable (and limited) those can be.
When I’ve been fortunate to have PD funds through my employer (which is most years), I’ve considered these precious and have carefully thought about where I wanted to invest in my learning.
I used to invest that money in conferences, where I would present, learn from–and connect with–peers. That was “back in the day” when my PD funds covered most of my travel and conference expenses.
But as the cost of attending conferences increased and my energy for travel diminished, I availed myself of other options more frequently: local in-person events, coaching, short online opportunities, podcasts, books, etc
While cost definitely influences the professional development opportunities I choose, other factors matter too.
How to choose the right professional development: Questions to ask yourself
If you’re trying to decide where to invest your professional development budget, these questions will help you go beyond the usual (but important) “what skills do I want to develop?” and choose opportunities that fit your goals, energy, and capacity.
- What will I do with what I learn? (I’m big on application of learning)
- What parts of me do I want to tap into most? (e.g., my creative energy? problem-solving energy? relationship-building energy? etc)
- What feels enticing? (you can think of this in terms of a location, people you want to be surrounded by and interact with, the number of decisions you want to make)
- How much structure is right for me? (do I prefer a lot of structure or not?)
- What do I have energy for? (Do I have energy to travel? Do I want full day activities or spread it out?
Your choice of a professional development opportunity will change as you move through your career, and different stages of life. Allow yourself to think broadly about what will serve you (and DO make use of those PD funds!).
