This is the first of a two-part series offering career advice for new professionals.
You’ve started your first job and things seem to be going well, but there’s been no mention of professional development and additional training. Or maybe your company does offer professional development, but it’s not quite cutting it for you. Whatever your situation, there are plenty of ways to take initiative and develop yourself as a professional while on the job. From sitting in on meetings to finding a peer coach, here are eight unusual ways to get on-the-job training:
Volunteer for projects.
Volunteering to work on projects shows your initiative and gives you a chance to gain new skills that you might not otherwise have. But don’t just jump at the first chance you get. Instead, sit down and brainstorm a list of some skills you’d like to develop and the types of projects that would help you accomplish that. Then, figure out how much time you realistically have to put towards volunteer projects. Once you have that information in hand, use that to guide your decisions on whether or not to sign up for the latest employee activity or to work the next trade show.
Sit in on meetings.
Meetings can sometimes be a time suck, but they can also be a great learning experience if you choose them wisely. Talk to your supervisor about opportunities to sit in on meetings, even if they’re not directly relevant to your job yet. You can always volunteer to take notes or run the slides so you’re actually being helpful rather than just sitting there (and you should always bring along a pen and notebook for your own notetaking purposes anyway). There may even be an opportunity for you to chime in and ask questions or offer your opinion. Just be sure to carefully read the room before jumping in so you don’t step on any toes.
Seek out a mentor.
Every professional should have a mentor–ideally several. You should always have at least one mentor outside your employer, so they can give you objective advice and help you identify if it’s time to move on. However, it can also be really helpful to have a mentor inside your company. This person should be substantially more experienced than you and be able to offer advice on long-term career trajectories. They’ll be able to coach you on how to set yourself up for a promotion or how to make the department transfer you’ve been eyeing. When appropriate, they’ll also be able to keep you up-to-date on leadership-level decisions that might affect your job.
Find a peer coach.
A peer coach is a little bit different from a mentor. A peer coach should be only a couple of years older than you–close enough in age that they remember what it’s like to be in your shoes, but far enough out that they have some wisdom to share. You peer coach can help answer all the little questions that can ease your early days on the job. What should you wear to this important client meeting? Who in HR should you talk to about scheduling PTO? Is the corporate award ceremony mandatory or not? Having someone to coach you through the small stuff can give you the confidence and energy you need to focus on the big projects.
Make your lunches count.
You can’t develop a mentor or peer coach relationship with everyone you meet, but that doesn’t mean that spending time with them isn’t valuable. Casual connections are also really important, so make a list of people that you’d like to get to know and start inviting them to lunch or coffee chats. These more informal meetings will give you a chance to pick people’s brains while getting some much-needed food or caffeine. Make sure you reach out to people at least a few days in advance, as finding mutual times can be tough.
Pursue certificates.
Hopefully, your HR department offers more formalized professional development opportunities. If it doesn’t, or you’re looking to supplement, see if there are any certificate or workshop programs you can attend. Many are available online, such as the Google Analytics certification program, and local professional organizations will offer training opportunities as well. If the certificate costs a lot, talk to your HR rep to see if the company can cover or partially cover the cost. Be prepared to articulate how it will make you better at your job and bring value to the company.
Tour different departments.
If you work at a large company, there are entire departments that you might not have any contact with (in fact, you might not even work with everyone in your own department). Even if you don’t have to interface with them directly, getting to know how other departments work can really improve your understanding of the business and help you do your job better.
Shadow company leaders.
Aspiring medical students shadow doctors in hospitals to learn what it’s really like, and this same logic applies to many professions. If you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you can ask to tag along to get a “day in the life” snapshot of their work. If you work at a small company, you might even be able to do this with someone in the C-suite, since most small companies have a flatter hierarchy with more transparency. Try to pick a day where there are lots of meetings or other activities going on so you’re not just sitting in an office all day.
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Professional development doesn’t just fall into your lap—it takes work! Being proactive about your career will set you up for success and show your company what a go-getter you are. If you’re a young professional, try one or all of these eight strategies to get on-the-job training as you get your work done.
Stay tuned for networking tips for young professionals in our next post.
