6 Professional Development Tips

The current environment in which we live demands that job seekers constantly evolve. Nonprofits are increasingly looking for employees who can fill multiple roles, so it behooves candidates to get to work on their professional development.

Professional development is an important step to increasing your odds of landing a job but, according to James Weinberg, founder and CEO of Boston-based Commongood Careers, there are many different methods to doing this besides attending grad school. During a recent talk at the Nonprofit Technology Network's (NTEN) Nonprofit Technology Conference, Weinberg listed six other ways of diversifying your skills:

• Workshops. Some workshops guarantee certificates, but check to see if that piece of paper means anything for your professional career.
• Self-education books. Sometimes your best teacher is yourself. Look for books or online courses that can help.
• Peer networks. These organize colleagues with similar jobs.
• Mentoring. You can learn a lot by teaching others
• Consulting. Side projects can help you encounter elements of your position that may not come up at your job.
• Volunteering. This offers flexibility to your schedule.