CAPS265 Lecture 4 - Professional Development

Introduction
So far in this course, we have talked about some strategies for making your
job search and application process even more effective. For example, we’ve
examined:
 Constructing and growing professional networks
 Joining professional associations
 Taking employment tests
 Establishing and soliciting professional references

Now, we are going to cover professional development, which involves

maintaining and improving your professional skills and credentials through
additional learning. Oftentimes, this learning will take place and continue
once you have a job in your chosen field. Getting a job is worth celebrating
for sure, but just like a sports team, you enjoy the win tonight and go back to
working hard tomorrow if you want the success to continue. If you become
too content and complacent in your job, you won’t see any progress and
even worse, you may become expendable. The working world evolves
quickly, and businesses need employees that will learn and grow to keep up
with these changes. Unfortunately, you could be let go if you are no longer
qualified. That is where professional development comes in. Engaging in
professional development helps to keep your skills sharp and your value
high.

Benefits of Professional Development

We defined it above, but professional development is exactly what it sounds
like. You are further developing your professional skills. It is also sometimes
known as continuing education, meaning you are not stopping your learning
at the start of your career, but are instead learning throughout the length of
it.

In today’s world, getting a job is not where the work starts and the learning
ends. The working world changes so fast that without an established
professional development plan an employee could be left behind. Different
types of professional development opportunities may include doing research,
attending workshops, completing skills-based training, job shadowing, taking
on new projects, presenting at conferences and meetings, etc.

For ideas on why there is a need for professional development and the
benefits it can have for employees and employers, please read the following
article titled “Why professional development matters to the success of a
CAPS265 Lecture 4 2

company” by Mike Crawford. As you read the article, see if you can answer
these questions:
 What are some of the different types of professional development
opportunities?
 What are the effects of having high company morale?
 Should you engage in professional development even if you have years
of experience?

Why professional development matters to the success of a company

As you saw from this article:

 Employees are the face of the company they work for. They are on the
front line interacting with customers and clients. Because of this, as an
employee you want to be your best at all times (and as a company,
you should want your employees to consistently be at their best).
Being your best means:
o Your professional skills are up to date and relevant, and you are
able to adapt to the trends and changes that take place in your
career field
 Are there new regulations, certifications that need
updating, or new laws that may change the way something
is done?
 Think, for example, about privacy laws in the
healthcare field. They have changed and become
more restrictive over time. It is important for
professionals in the field to stay knowledgeable and
up to date so that they can best serve patients and
clients (and do so in a way that does not violate the
law or bring legal problems to their workplace).
 Being on the cutting edge will increase employee
confidence in their abilities and what they can and can’t do
o Understanding that experience does not replace professional
development
 Sometimes people with years of experience can become
set in their ways and keep doing things the way they have
always done them. Having experience is a positive, but one
needs to ensure they are finding ways to continue to
progress and grow.
 For example, in elementary schools, teachers have
established reading programs and methods for
teaching literacy skills, but there are new programs
like Readers Workshop that have value. An
CAPS265 Lecture 4 3

experienced teacher cannot be afraid to see what

positives there are in a new program and what they
can take from those programs to help their students.
 Not mentioned by the article, another benefit of
professional development is that employers often want to
build experience and talent from within the organization.
When promotions or additional opportunities arise,
employers frequently try to promote or use existing
employees. This will allow the employer to improve and
maintain the level of skill within their organization, which
will increase employee retention and overall morale. As
we will see later in the lecture, completing professional
development can help you to better position yourself for
promotions.
 When employers encourage their employees to attend and complete
professional development opportunities, employee morale is improved,
because employees are well trained.
o Employees use professional development to learn new things
and different ways to approach tasks. This builds enthusiasm as
employees look forward to trying out what they learned.
o When one employee has new skills and methods for approaching
situations in the workplace, it can also encourage those around
them to learn and try new things. Overall, the bar is raised in the
workplace, with all (or many) performing at a higher level.
 Professional development can include participating in:
o Conferences
o Seminars
o Webinars

Overall, professional development helps excitement and engagement in the

workplace to grow as employees are learning and raising the bar for those
around them to do the same. When companies encourage and offer
professional development, workers feel valued, they notice their own
performance improvement, and productivity goes up. Professional
development makes employees excited about their work. It also helps
employees to recognize that their employer cares about them and investing
in their continual growth.

There is a definite upward trajectory for the employee and company when
there are quality professional development opportunities that the employee
makes use of. It doesn’t matter which point of your career you are in,
professional development can help you become a better employee. For
CAPS265 Lecture 4 4

other ideas on the benefits of professional development, please read the

following article titled “6 reasons professional development matters” by the
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
(AACRAO). As you read, try to answer this question:
 What benefits can professional development have for employees and
leaders within the workplace?

6 reasons professional development matters

As you saw from this article:

 There are short- and long-term benefits attributed to the use of
professional development, which can help employees at different
stages of their careers.
 If you are feeling underutilized, professional development can open up
new responsibilities and roles for you, including, possibly, a leadership
position.
 Professional development can positively affect employees and leaders.
o Professional development can help relatively new employees to
understand the “whats” and “hows” of the job and field.
o Professional development ensures employees and leaders are
learning and utilizing new strategies and best practices and
keeps them informed about trends in the field. They also are
able to keep up with advances in technology.
o As was noted earlier, when employers invest in their employees
through professional development, morale and productivity are
improved. And employees are likely to stay with the employer
longer.
o Developing new skills prepares employees and leaders for future
challenges, career growth, and promotional opportunities.
o Attending professional development is often a great chance to
network with other professionals. As you have learned in this
class and others, these connections are a wonderful way to
advance your career.

More seasoned or experienced employees may use professional

development for different reasons than newer employees. For instance, as
we will see later in the lecture, once employees become relatively
established, they may look to earn a promotion. Professional development
can help to make someone an even better candidate for these openings.
Furthermore, if an employee feels they have reached a plateau in their field
or workplace, professional development can offer a source of enrichment to
prevent stagnation.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 5

Clearly, there are several benefits to professional development. There are

also many different kinds of continuing education and professional
development. As mentioned previously in this lecture, as a start to the list,
professional development can be completed through:
 Conferences
 Seminars
 Webinars

As an employee, you should keep your eyes and ears open for possible
professional development and your employer should offer and encourage
such opportunities as well. For some ideas on other professional
development opportunities, please read the following article titled “5 Ways
to Encourage Professional Development” by Glassdoor. This article is geared
towards employers and managers and is meant to encourage them to offer
professional development to employees. As you read it, though, you might
get some tips for your own development or ideas you could present to your
employer. As you read the article, try to answer the following question:
 What professional development opportunities can you take advantage
of at your workplace?

5 Ways to Encourage Professional Development

As you saw from this article:

 There are professional development opportunities that employees
should take advantage of besides just industry events (such as
conferences and seminars).
o Industry events are a great way to learn current trends, though.
When employees attend conferences, they should be
encouraged to present or share what they learned with others
when they return.
 Employers need to have a formal professional development plan so
employees know what is available and recognize that they are
supported. Some professional development opportunities include:
o Online learning sites that allow you to learn on your schedule
 Often these sites allow employers to purchase individual
courses or licenses to grant employees access to all
content. Some examples can be found using the following
weblinks.
 Lynda
 Skillshare
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o Mentoring programs that pair newer and more established

employees.
 The employees that are paired in this way should not have
a direct managerial relationship (one should not, for
example, be the other’s immediate supervisor).
 The mentor and mentee should meet periodically to
discuss issues, ideas, trends, etc.
 This relationship is beneficial for both the mentor and
mentee as learning and information are shared and the
mentor feels valued and like they have something to
contribute.
o Sharing what one knows with others, through for example:
 Presentations
 Trainings
 Teaching online courses
 Writing a blog
 These sorts of opportunities are good for both the people
who are learning and who are doing the teaching.
 So, for example, if an employee gives a presentation
on a new webtool they have discovered, this will
benefit the employees who hear the presentation
and learn more about the tool. It will also benefit the
speaker who feels more confident in their knowledge
and more valued and trusted by their employer.
o Focusing on personal growth
 Meetings or trainings focused on topics important in a
variety of jobs, such as communication, emotional
intelligence, and mindfulness, can be valuable for personal
and professional growth.

Another idea for professional development in the workplace is to have

meetings to present new challenges to colleagues and ask for/offer
feedback.
 For instance, if you are working in the human services field, you might
present interesting case studies to fellow employees and have them
develop treatment plans or find resources for the client. If you work in
IT and are having difficulty troubleshooting a particular issue, you
might use the monthly meeting to present the problem and get
suggestions from other people.

You can also help yourself to grow professionally by voluntarily taking on and
completing projects
CAPS265 Lecture 4 7

 Take on new responsibilities and try to be innovating. Many

companies don’t mind mistakes, as long as you learn from them.
o For instance, imagine being in the healthcare industry and
developing a system for setting up work schedules. Taking on
this sort of project will help you to learn new computer skills and
better understand what works and what doesn’t in this sort of
situation. These will be skills and ideas you can take forward
with you.

One final suggestion for professional development is for employers to hold

regular (perhaps biweekly or monthly) meetings. These meetings offer a
wonderful forum to allow employees to share new things they have learned
with one another. The employer can also use these meetings to teach
employees about skills or topics they are interested in.
 For example, someone in the criminal justice field could share what
they have learned about sentence reform.
 These meetings can focus on:
o Learning a new hard skill that pertains directly to one’s career
field, such as pedagogy for a teacher
o Developing soft skills used across many domains, such as
leadership or communication

Stop and consider:

 Are there professional development opportunities where you work
currently or have worked in the past?
 What types of professional development have you taken advantage of?
 Have you experienced the benefits of professional development?

Thank you! You have completed this lesson about professional development.
You learned:
 There are several benefits to attending and completing professional
development.
 Professional development comes in many different shapes and sizes.
 Professional development is available throughout one’s career and is
important for continual growth and preventing stagnation.

You will now complete a short, ungraded Knowledge Check activity.

Check Your Knowledge

1. Which of the following is an opportunity for professional development?
a. Webinars
b. Conferences
c. Seminars
CAPS265 Lecture 4 8

d. All the above

The correct answer is D.

2. Only new employees can benefit from professional development.

True
False
The correct answer is False.

3. Which of the following is a benefit of professional development?

a. Increased employee morale
b. Increased employee retention
c. Remaining set in one’s ways
d. Both choices A and B are correct
The correct answer is D.

4. Productivity can increase with the appropriate use of professional

development.
True
False
The correct answer is True

Promotions
When many of us think ahead to what we want in a career, we often consider
advancement and promotion. Promotions, however, are not for everyone.
Generally, the further up the ladder we move, the less and less our job
becomes like what originally drew us to the field. Moving up the corporate
ladder requires us to focus more on managing others, administrative tasks,
and so on. This is not what everyone wants. Even for those who are looking
to move up the company ladder, professional development shouldn’t be
completed only as a springboard to achieve a promotion. There are other
intrinsic reasons to complete meaningful professional development.

For ideas on the connection between professional development and

promotions please read the following article titled “Why Professional
Development Won’t Get You Promoted” by Stacey Christiansen. As you read
the article, try to answer these questions:
 What can you do if the company you work for doesn’t have a budget
for professional development trainings?
 Is professional development synonymous with promotion?

Why Professional Development Won’t Get You Promoted

As you saw from this article:

CAPS265 Lecture 4 9

 Professional development is not a synonym for promotion. There is

nothing wrong with moving up the company ladder but that is not what
professional development is meant for.
o Professional development and promotion don’t go hand in hand,
but there can be a connection between the two that we will talk
about later in the lecture.
o Professional development is more about:
 Learning new hard or soft skills, developing existing skills,
attaining new knowledge, and pursuing your passion
 Gaining new experiences and opportunities (that may or
may not be tied to a promotion)
o Keep in mind that often the further you move up within a
company the less you might be able to engage your passion.
Upper level positions often deal with more administrative tasks,
managing and training, etc.
 For instance, if you are in the field of early childhood
education because you are passionate about interacting
with children, the further up within the daycare center you
move, the less you might actually get to work with
children. If you become center director, for example, you
will spend a lot of time scheduling teachers, interacting
with parents and families, observing and training new
faculty, etc.
 You may have to do a little professional development on your own
time.
o But remember, completing professional development is an
investment in yourself! You will grow your own skills, talents,
and experiences.
o Some companies have training budgets, but if not or if the
budget has been spent, you can search sites like Google and
Amazon for available books and online courses.
 Similarly, sites like LinkedIn have several professional
development opportunities on different topics. You can
access them using the following weblink: LinkedIn
Professional Development
o As you develop new skills, you will want to find a way to practice
and put these skills into action. You can do this by asking for
additional opportunities within the workplace.
 For instance, if you completed a web development course
on your own time, you might ask your boss for permission
to revamp the company website or to help troubleshoot
issues with the site as they arise.
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 If your employer will not allow you to take on such

additional projects, you might volunteer your skills at a
charitable or nonprofit agency.
 To continue our web development example, you
could volunteer to create or edit the website of a
local charity.
 You can search a list of nonprofits using the following
weblink: Tax Exempt Organization Search

Related to the article, early on in your employment you should try to find out
through the HR department or your manager what the company’s beliefs and
procedures are for professional development. See whether they will pay for
you to attend a conference or complete coursework. Ask about taking on
additional projects or presenting to others about some of your knowledge.

If you are looking for a promotion, professional development is part of the

process, but you need other qualities as well. Think about the attributes and
skills people in positions you want to be in display. Do you have those skill
sets yet? For other ideas on what is necessary to achieve a promotion,
please read the following article titled “How to Get Promoted – The Complete
Guide to Moving Up” by Paul Petrone. As you read the article, see if you can
answer these questions:
 How should you ask your boss for a promotion?
 When is it beneficial to be a “yes” person at work?
 What personal changes can you make to help yourself earn a
promotion?
 How can you carry yourself in a conversation to help yourself get a
promotion?

How to Get Promoted – The Complete Guide to Moving Up

As you saw from this article:

 Promotions can mean more money, control over what work you do,
increased influence, etc. The only issue is that it is not your choice
whether you land a promotion or not. Someone else makes that
decision. However, you do have the power to increase your chances of
receiving a promotion. You can do this by:
o Acting like you deserve a promotion.
 Be above average at your job. Show management that
you can handle a bigger job with more responsibilities.
 Imagine working in human services as a domestic
violence counselor. If you want to be the manager of
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your department you must show that you are

capable of taking on the additional responsibility. To
do this, you might:
o Help a newer employee organize their
workload
o Brainstorm some solutions to issues colleagues
are having
o Offer suggestions for treatment plans for
clients at the organization
o Continuously improving
 If your performance review looks the same ever year, you
are not improving. It doesn’t mean you are doing a bad
job. You are just not showing growth. Companies
generally want to promote employees who show continual
growth and improvement.
 Consider the strengths and weaknesses noted in
your performance review. Do what you can to grow
or develop in areas of weakness.
 You should take on new roles in your company and try
different things.
 Some ideas not mentioned in the article include:
o Asking to assist someone who seems to be
struggling
o Serving as a mentor for other employees
o Volunteering to start or be on a committee,
such as a spirit or party planning committee or
a community outreach committee.
 Attend trainings, seminars, etc. to gain new skills. This is
where the professional development piece comes into play.
 The bottom line is that you need to have a growth mindset,
which means you believe your abilities can increase with
hard work.
o Working well with other people
 As mentioned before, the decision to offer someone a
promotion will not be made alone. Often the hiring
manager will consult with others.
 This means it is important to treat everyone in the
organization with respect. Help others. Try not to
get frustrated or forget about others.
o Looking past the day to day issues and tasks and seeing the
bigger picture
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 Incorporate the bigger picture into your work to show you

are worthy of a greater role
 Are you just concerned with the small details of the
project or the impact the project will have?
 Focusing on the bigger picture will show that you
really understand the organization where you work
and the impact that each department has within that
organization.
 For instance, imagine that you work within the
customer service department of a car dealership.
Your job is simply to track and address customer
concerns, complaints, and compliments. In this
work, however, you have noticed that many
customers mention friends or family members who
are in the market for a new car. You could suggest
to upper management that the customer service
reps start noting the names and phone numbers of
people who have friends and family interested in
buying a car and provide this information to the sales
department. In this way, it is clear you are focused
on the bigger picture of what the dealership is trying
to accomplish (selling new vehicles and maintaining
customer satisfaction), rather than just attending to
what your department is doing. This might show you
are ready for a larger role in the company.
o Be a “yes” person when it expands your role and capacity
 It may seem beneficial to give into and flatter your boss by
agreeing with whatever they say, but that is not always
what an employer wants to see. They want someone who
can listen and then show thoughtful agreement or
disagreement when applicable.
 So, if your boss has a legitimately great idea, listen
to it and then express why you agree or any possible
issues you see. If you disagree, you can (and should)
express this professionally. Doing so will
demonstrate your communication skills and your
knowledge about the company.
 Say “yes” when it comes to taking on new professional
opportunities and different roles.
 This will allow you to build connections and
relationships.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 13

 Just make sure you don’t take on too much. You

want it to be clear that you can handle the work and
efficiently manage your time.
o Becoming a better listener
 Leaders don’t just delegate or dominate conversations.
They listen first to hear what their colleagues and
employees need. You want to show that you have the
skills necessary to do this. Make sure to actively listen.
 Pause during conversations to let information settle
in
 Do not focus on what you will say next. Really invest
effort to listen and understand
 Ask questions to confirm what was said
 When you do talk, make sure it is meaningful. Two items
that you should be concerned with are what you say and
how you say it.
 What you say:
o Give clear updates on what is happening in the
company or your department
o Talk about industry trends and where the
company might head in the future
o Focus on the organization’s goals, reference
them whenever possible, and thinking and talk
long-term
o Avoid gossip
 How you say it
o You show confidence and authenticity by:
 Standing up tall
 Making eye contact
 Smiling
 Using a strong voice
 Nodding
o Use concise language
 Try to avoid words like “kind of,”
“maybe,” and “sort of.”
o Adjust to the setting you are in. You will
probably talk and word things differently via
email, talking on the phone, interacting with
higher ups, etc.
 Preparing and positioning yourself for a promotion is a good first step,
but you oftentimes must ask for the promotion outright or express your
interest to leaders within your company.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 14

o Discuss promotion opportunities with your boss prior to when

you think you are ready for the actual promotion
 Asking what it will take for you to be awarded a promotion
early on shows your boss you are interested in growth with
the company.
 Your boss can give you guidance on what it will take for
you to earn a promotion and a timeframe so that you know
when to ask again. This will give you a clearer roadmap to
follow.
o When the time comes to ask for the promotion, make your case.
 Explain what you have done with the company and your
ideas for the future. Make sure to avoid:
 Comparing yourself to others
o This can come off as critical and unprofessional
 Assuming your boss likes you and that means you
are going to get a promotion.
o There is nothing wrong with having a positive
(and personal) relationship with your boss, but
it doesn’t trump your qualifications.
 Not knowing what is going on with the company
o If cutbacks are coming (or have just occurred),
it is not a good time to ask for a promotion.
o As another example (not mentioned in the
article), if you work in human services and
there are new federal guidelines, you may
want to wait until your organization has them
figured out and implemented before seeking a
promotion. You want to show you are aware of
(and sensitive to) what the company has going
on.
 Getting emotional if you don’t get the promotion
o Yes, this is a natural reaction, but try not to do
it in front of your boss or hiring manager. It
may hurt your chances with future promotions
or opportunities in the workplace.

Remember people who make promotion decisions use facts and emotions to
guide them. Following the tips listed here will help you appeal to both their
rational and emotional sides.

As you think about what you want from your career and you talk to your boss
or manager about those desires, make sure to listen closely when they
CAPS265 Lecture 4 15

describe what opportunities there are for you. Some may talk about
promotions and some may talk about career advancement. Both are
positive, but there are similarities and differences between them. A
promotion involves an employee moving up the levels at the company they
work for. With a promotion, the employee progresses in position,
responsibility, and/or authority. For instance, the individual might move from
a junior sales associate, to a sales associate, to a senior sales associate.
Career advancement, on the other hand, is a bit more general. It is the
evolution of someone’s career over time. It could involve developing new
skills, moving to a different field or company, taking on a new role, etc.

For other ideas on the similarities and differences between promotions and
career advancement, please read the following article titled “Advancement
vs. a Promotion” by Ruth Mayhew. As you read the article, see if you can
answer these questions:
 Do you have to move to achieve a promotion or career advancement?
 What are some of the key differences between a promotion and career
advancement?

Advancement Vs. a Promotion

As you saw from this article:

 If you receive a promotion or advance during your career, it should be
considered a positive event.
o A similarity is that both promotion and career advancement can
happen within the company you currently work for and there will
be a change or increase in your job duties.
 There are several differences between promotion and career
advancement as well.
o Advancement:
 Doesn’t always come with a raise attached.
 For instance, you might switch which shift you work.
This can lead to increased opportunities to learn or
show off skills. This would make the change an
advancement but because your overall job and job
title have not changed, you would probably not
experience a change in pay.
 Doesn’t guarantee more authority.
 You might make a lateral move within the company
or from one company to another. A lateral move
involves moving to a position with a similar title, set
of responsibilities, and pay.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 16

o For instance, you might go from working as a

teacher’s aide in an infant classroom to a
teacher’s aide in a toddler classroom. Since
your title has not changed, your level of
authority would likely not change either. You
are, however, advancing your career because
your career path is changing and evolving. You
are gaining valuable skills and are able to work
with a wider age range of children.
 Can happen within the company that you currently work
for or can involve moving to a different company.
 For instance, imagine being a real estate paralegal
and switching to a family law paralegal position for a
different firm. This again fits our definition of career
advancement because your career path is changing
and evolving. You are gaining new skills and
showing your capability to work as a paralegal
dealing with a variety of different types of laws.
o Promotion:
 Generally happens within the company and utilizes formal
steps that one follows to work their way up the company
ladder.
 Often involves going from a lower to higher level position
that includes a raise, increased responsibility, and more
authority.
 For example, a promotion might entail a daycare
center employee progressing from being a teacher’s
aide to a lead teacher in the infant classroom. As
lead teacher, the employee will have greater
responsibility, like lesson planning, completing more
documentation, and attending meetings. This
increased responsibility will be tied to an increase in
pay.
o You might notice that job postings include information about
candidates being willing to relocate for promotion or advancement
opportunities. This is because these growth opportunities may require
the employee to oversee more individuals, a larger territory, etc.,
which could lead to a need to move or to travel.

Stop and consider:

 Have you ever been promoted?
CAPS265 Lecture 4 17

o If yes, what did you do to put yourself in position to be

promoted?
 Is a promotion or career advancement something you are interested in
now?
 Have you ever missed out on a promotion or been passed over?
o If yes, what was the reason?
 Did you know the difference between promotion and career
advancement prior to reading this lecture?

Thank you! You have completed this lesson about promotions. You learned:
 Though both are positive, there are differences between promotion
and career advancement
o A promotion involves an employee moving up the levels at the
company they work for. With a promotion, the employee
progresses in position, responsibility, and/or authority. Career
advancement, on the other hand, is the evolution of someone’s
career over time. It could involve developing new skills, moving
to a different field or company, taking on a new role, etc.
 You must be active and intentional in your pursuit of a promotion
o Communicate professionally with your manager or supervisor
about your desires and the best ways to go about progressing
within the company
 There are certain characteristics management looks for in order to
consider someone for a promotion
o You want to demonstrate that you are capable of doing the job,
can take on additional responsibility, are looking to continuously
grow and improve, can work well with others, are capable of
seeing the bigger picture, and are an effective communicator.

You will now complete a short, ungraded Knowledge Check activity.

Check Your Knowledge

1. Career advancement always comes with a raise.
True
False
The correct answer is False.

2. You should ask your supervisor what it will take to be promoted prior to
asking for the promotion.
True
False
The correct answer is True.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 18

3. When you feel your skillset makes you ready for a promotion, you should
ask your boss about it right away, regardless of the current situation at the
company.
True
False
The correct answer is False.

4. “What” you say is as important as “how” you say it at work.

True
False
The correct answer is True.

5. Which of the following can show that you are ready for a promotion?
a. Doing work above your current level
b. Showing your colleagues respect
c. Keeping your emotions under control if you are passed over for a
promotion
d. All the above
The correct answer is D.

Preparing for the Unknown

Many elements of the career development courses you’ve taken so far are
meant to help you:
 Create and perfect the documents you need to secure employment
 Advance in your career
 Decide upon the steps you want to take in your career path

A cornerstone of career preparation is the resume, which you have revisited

several times throughout your coursework. You also have the opportunity to
use technology to get your resume and other information in front of hiring
managers through professional networking sites like LinkedIn. Once you’ve
achieved your goal and gained employment you don’t want to forget about
the tools that made that possible. You may need your resume and
professional networking sites at different opportune times in your career
(such as when you apply for a promotion). For this reason, you want to
make sure that you always have them up to date. To keep these things
updated, you should set aside time to periodically review them. This should
be done at least twice a year. As you do so:
 Make sure that your description of your current job responsibilities is
accurate.
 Add new tasks that you now do at work, trainings you’ve taken,
certificates you’ve earned, and so on.
 Remove (or move lower on the document) outdated jobs that don’t
connect to your career field.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 19

 Update you contact information if it has changed.

For ideas on why you need to keep your resume and cover letter updated,
please read the following article titled “6 Good Reasons to (Always!) Keep
Your Resume Updated” by Erin Greenawald. As you read the article, try to
answer these questions:
 What professional information should you keep updated to be ready for
future professional opportunities?
 What professional opportunities may come your way that you want to
be prepared for?
 What negative events could cause you to need your professional
information updated and ready?

6 Good Reasons to (Always!) Keep Your Resume Updated

As you saw from this article:

 It is natural to forget about your resume and LinkedIn profile once you
have a job and/or you are not actively searching for a job.
o The potential problem with this is that you don’t always know
when an issue or opportunity will arise, and you don’t want to
scramble to get your documents updated. Issues or opportunities
that could arise include:
 Interacting with an audience or the media as an expert
 Imagine you are asked to present at a conference or
have a meeting with another company. What if a
media or social media outlet contacts you for a
comment on a topic?
 You want to be able to prove your credentials, and
this will involve having an updated resume and
LinkedIn profile.
 Being nominated for an accolade
 You may not always see this kind of praise coming
and the association that is considering you for an
award may want to include your professional
biography or use your resume to make a final
decision on who to offer the award to.
 The chance to do some side work or freelancing
 This is outside of your normal workday and can be a
great opportunity to make extra money, build your
skills, and form relationships within your industry.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 20

 You might decide to apply for this work or be sought

out for such an opportunity. Either way, you’ll want
to have your resume ready.
 Recruiters looking for new hires
 You may not be looking for a new job, but others may
be looking for someone with your exact qualifications
and credentials to fill a vacancy or collaborate on a
project.
 Companies are actively looking to improve their
workforce and you want your information to be
updated and relevant to be considered for an
advancement.
 Applying for a promotion in your current company
 The managers you work closely with know you well
enough to suggest promoting you. The issue is that
the higher ups may not know you as well and might
want to see that you are qualified on paper before
approving a promotion. This means you should
always have your resume updated and ready to go in
case an opportunity like this arises.
 Being let go
 Unfortunately, this is a reality and many times
people don’t see layoffs coming
 In this upsetting circumstance, you can be prepared
to transition into another job more quickly than
others by having your resume and professional
networking site profiles ready

Keeping your resume and professional networking profiles updated is

important because you don’t know what the future will bring. What else can
you do to prepare yourself for the future? There is a real concern about what
the jobs of the future will look like. Unfortunately, no one can truly predict
the future, but you can try to be as prepared as possible. Please watch the
following six-and-a-half-minute video called “How to Prepare for the Jobs of
the Future” by Raj Ramesh. As you watch the video, see if you can answer
these questions:
 What strengths do humans have?
 What strengths do computers and artificial intelligence have?
 How can humans position themselves to be prepared for the future?

How to Prepare for the Jobs of the Future

CAPS265 Lecture 4 21

As you saw from this video:

 There is concern that jobs will be lost to robots, computers, and
artificial intelligence in the future. Others, however, say that new jobs
will take the place of those that are lost. For instance, if robots are
suddenly performing tasks, there will need to be employees who
maintain the robots.
o The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, with some jobs
being taken over by AI and computers and new jobs being
created. No one really knows when this will happen.
o Being aware of the possibilities and being prepared is important
to be successful now and in the future.
 Computers and artificial intelligence are good at certain tasks, like
doing searches and finding patterns
o However, they have a long way to go to meet the brain power of
a human in other areas. Humans are good at tasks involving
creativity, empathy, etc.
 We should seek to build our skills in ways that will
complement computers and artificial intelligence. Other
skills that humans have are:
 Leadership
 Communication
 Storytelling
 Innovation
 Building foundational skills that are specific to your career field and
using the above skills that only humans possess is the way to co-exist
with computers/artificial intelligence in the working world. You also
want to diversify your skillset so that you are knowledgeable in a
variety of areas.
o Imagine a counselor in the human service field showing empathy
towards a client she is meeting with, but also using brain scans
to see if there are any structural issues contributing to the
person’s depression.
 Showing empathy and demonstrating creativity by utilizing
a variety of diagnostic and treatment tools are uniquely
human skills. Computerized scans show the ever-
increasing importance of technology.
 Education is important to build foundational skills, but you need to
continue your education once you have entered the working world as
well.
o Going back to the beginning of this lecture, professional
development is needed to get the most well-rounded skillset.
Engaging in professional development will allow you to showcase
CAPS265 Lecture 4 22

your own strengths and better position yourself to utilize artificial

intelligence and computers to your benefit as well.
o Technology is constantly changing, and you need to be on the
cutting edge to make it work for you and to keep yourself
relevant.

Stop and consider:

 Do you know where your resume file is located on your computer?
 What new information could you add or what outdated information
could you remove from your resume or online profile?
 Have you positioned yourself to be ready for the jobs of the future?

Thank you! You have completed this lesson about preparing for the
unknown. You learned:
 There may be opportunities and issues in the future that you can
prepare for by keeping your professional documents updated as you
evolve and grow professionally.
 Human and computers possess a variety of unique strengths. The best
results can be achieved by having computers and humans work
together on a task or problem.

You will now complete a short, ungraded Knowledge Check activity.

Check Your Knowledge

1. Which of the following skills is possessed uniquely by humans (and not
computers or artificial intelligence)?
a. Finding patterns
b. Quick searches
c. Empathy
d. All of the above
The correct answer is C.

2. In order to remain relevant in the future, humans should seek to build

their skills in ways that will complement computers and artificial intelligence.
True
False
The correct answer is True.

3. You should keep your resume and online professional networking profiles
updated and ready for unexpected opportunities.
True
False
The correct answer is True.
CAPS265 Lecture 4 23

4. Which of the following is a reason you should keep your resume and online
professional networking profiles updated?
a. Being nominated for an award
b. Applying for a promotion
c. Losing your job
d. All the above
The correct answer is D.

Conclusion
As you go forward, remember that a rolling stone gathers no moss. Objects
that are in motion stay in motion. Having this mindset about your career is
important. Moving forward by taking advantage of professional development
opportunities will allow you to be a better employee and will prepare you for
promotions and career advancement. Since nobody really knows what the
future will bring, you should set yourself up for success the best you can by
being prepared. This means participating in professional development and
keeping your resume and professional networking profiles up to date.

Next, we will continue with the theme of growth. How might an employee
know where they should focus their professional development efforts?
Through evaluations and feedback from their employer. Employees also
have a chance to evaluate the companies they work for so the companies
can grow and future employees know what they are getting into.