How many times a day do you think about a child’s needs, dreams and ambitions? What do you implement to support them and help them to succeed? Now answer those same questions when thinking about yourself and consider why that is. You are clearly great at your job but how do you maintain that and continue to develop your career?
Your professional development is significant and can have a huge impact on your career, personal life and wellbeing. In a society where judgements are made quickly and stigmas attached, it can often feel a little stifling to be looking after others and following their routine with lots of people watching. However, by taking control of your own learning, you will continue to build your confidence, becoming a true expert in childcare.
Time flies and there are always a multitude of reasons as to why you should put off your professional development. Put those reasons to one side, sit down with a well-deserved cup of coffee and think about your own career progression. How can you boost your knowledge, take control of your career path and become more qualified?
What is professional development?
Professional development is hugely varied. It could be reading a book about weaning a baby on to food, attending a first aid course or committing to complete an MA in Educational and Child Psychology. All of these options are positive experiences and will allow you to take control of your own career progression. With so many opportunities available to you, how do you make a decision?
Research:
Researching into a specific topic such as learning how nutrition can have an impact on behaviour or how mindful activities can provide techniques for life can be extremely useful. This type of professional development is accessible to all due to it being flexible and free. Whilst motivating yourself to keep studying might be a challenge at times, choosing an interesting topic that will be beneficial to your job should help you sustain your enthusiasm and drive on to the end.
Certificates and New Advances/Developments:
Your certification and staying up to date on new developments is important when acquiring new posts and taking on additional responsibility. Have a look at HATA (The Home Affairs Training Academy) and Nest (Newborn & Nanny Education and Training Services) for example to see what sorts of things you could be learning to refresh your skills.
New Skills, New Knowledge:
Depending on the family you work with, you may decide to upskill in a specific area to help you within your day-to-day job. Whether you wish to learn more about maternity and how to look after a newborn baby; participate in a sleep training course; attend a speech and language therapy course or learn more about dyslexia and how to help, you will be adding to your skill set and adapting to the needs of the child.
Whilst additional training will help the family you work with, it is important to remember that you are learning for you, your development and career progression. Do something that you find interesting and put your brain to the test.