Nobody stays at the cutting edge forever.
As much as we may want to believe that by the end of school, our education is done and will last us the rest of our mortal lives, business has a tendency to keep moving forward. If you end up stuck in your ways or assuming that things will work the same as they do now in 10 years’ time, you’re almost certainly going to be left behind.
When put in those terms, the idea of innovation and education seems dire, but it really doesn’t have to be. As business shifts and expectations change, it generally means a lot of bold exciting opportunities are arising for businesses to try new things. It just takes a little motivation to give yourself that drive to expand your business knowledge, which is why we’ve put together a few signs that it might be time to develop yourself professionally.
You’re Feeling Unfulfilled or Lost
This is one of the most common problems in the world, especially for those who have been in the same field for a long time. Change can be difficult, but so can stagnation, and if it feels as if your career is no longer advancing, it can often give the sense that your whole life is on standby. We as human beings thrive on a sense of achievement, and that means different things to different people. However, if you’re someone who wants to do well and advance in their field, professional development and upskilling could be just the thing to give your work purpose again.
Courses like the online MBA at SCU can be a great starting point, especially if you haven’t had a formal business education prior. However, if you don’t feel that university is quite the right fit, attending seminars and lectures, and finding topics you’re interested in within your field to explore can help to reignite your passion for your work. Whatever it takes, you are important, and your sense of accomplishment is worth investing in.
You Actively Dread Your Job
Whether it’s due to being overwhelmed or just feeling burnt out, it’s easy to get to a point where you just hate the work you’re doing. The idea of getting up and going to the same place every day to do work that feels uninspired and daunting, only to go home and repeat that process forever, feels less like personal growth and more like a Sisyphean nightmare. However, work doesn’t have to be that way, and if you start to feel like something has to change, then it is time for you to become that change.
Remember that not every burden is worth carrying, and professional development doesn’t have to be in pursuit of reigniting passion for something you’re simply not connecting with anymore. You can quit your job, uproot your career, and change what you see as the core of yourself as a working person. You only have one life, and if you feel like parts of that life are being used in ways that only make you unhappy, starting the journey of development and self-re-discovery might be the best next step.
You’re Losing Confidence in Your Own Capabilities
When the business world starts to feel like it’s passing you by, it’s easy to get fatalistic with it. You can feel like the industry’s future is one without you in it, or like new competition is just going to be insurmountable with your skills slowly becoming outdated. Many workers have had to deal with the threat of automation looming large, and with advancements in AI technology, even those in creative fields are having to fight companies that are attempting to reduce costs by cutting out humans altogether.
It’s not fair that people are put in these situations, nor is it something to simply be gotten over. Rather, if you’re feeling the pressure to fight against redundancy in a world that seems to be changing, professional development is a way to do that. By educating yourself on the current cutting edges of your field, you can begin to develop a more robust understanding of where your skills can be used, and where the next step in the corporate world should take you. It’s not easy, but we aren’t the first generation to feel the lurching march of corporate modernity, and we certainly won’t be the last to fight for our place as part of a working society.
You Have Skills that You Aren’t Fully Utilising
You might be surprised just how much our passions can connect with our working lives, even in ways you wouldn’t expect. Artists with business experience can thrive in the design world, while even those who have spent years on the Ao3 forums writing fanfiction can find themselves with a peculiar proficiency for creating brand narratives. Even I have used my love of deep-diving topics to write content on hyper obscure topics for money, such as this 6000-word mammoth piece on an anime trading card game nobody has ever heard of.
The fact is that business is never as cut and dry as you may think regarding what can and cannot be worked into a career. If you have passion drive and skills that others don’t have, then professional development is your way to take that to the next level. After all, you’re a unique individual person, and your skillset is one that not everyone is going to have.
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We don’t get to decide how the business world changes, but we do get to choose how we react to those changes. By staying proactive you can not only stave off redundancy in a shifting corporate landscape, but you can also help yourself feel confident and content in the work that you’re doing. The drive is a great thing, but only when you allow yourself to act upon it; good luck.
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Samuel Shepherd is a writer, editor, marketer, SEO specialist, musician, producer, reviewer, and all of the other things that you can be from the comfort of a computer screen. Currently based in Australia, Sam is always ready and excited to talk about the strange quirks and oddities of an ever-present online world.