Professional Development Tips For The New Year

Sally Allison has a definition for professional development. 

"It is activity that makes you a better employee today," said Allison, assistant director of recruitment and manager of Duke's Professional Development Institute. 

She said people often think of professional development as a means to a promotion, "but it is really about expanding your knowledge, skills and abilities. That can happen in a host of ways and often costs very little."

Here are five low-cost ideas to help expand your skills and knowledge and polish your professional development at Duke in the New Year.

Learn online on your own time

Lynda.com has an online library of more than 68,000 training videos, ranging from project management fundamentals to an introduction to Google+. Duke faculty and staff can view any tutorials at no charge with a Duke NetID and Password. 

Melissa Eggleston, a communications specialist in the Department of Economics, has found the tutorials to be valuable in a pinch.

"I use Lynda.com for `just-in-time' training, for example when I can't remember how to do something in Photoshop or to learn new software," she said.

Take a class  

Jared Brown was interested in moving into a supervisory role and talked with his boss about taking a class to help prepare him.

"He supported me in taking this class to think about the different issues I would face," said Brown, who took the one-day, $99 dollar course "Moving from Peer to Supervisor" from Duke's Learning & Organization Development.

Brown recently accepted a supervisory position for Duke's North Carolina Orthopaedic Clinic. 

Learning & Organization Development offers 52 class topics, ranging from management to computer skills. Some classes are free, and many cost less than $100. 

In addition, other units such as Financial Services, Duke Visa Services, the Center for Instructional Technology and OIT Technology Training offer free or low-cost courses.   

Read

Reading professional journals and business books in a particular trade is one of the lowest-cost ways to expand knowledge.

Duke employees have access to approximately 6.2 million books, journals and other sources of information through the Duke University Libraries. Duke also offers DukeReads, a virtual bookclub. The next DukeReads discussion is at 4 p.m. Jan. 27 when participants will discuss the late Reynolds Price's book, "A Serious Way of Wondering: The Ethics of Jesus Imagined." (Participate online or attend the event at the Rare Book Room of Perkins Library).

Allison, the assistant director of recruitment and manager of Duke's Professional Development Institute, also suggested that staff keep up with Duke's internal news publications to learn about other topics like Duke research, academic happenings, broadcasts like "Office Hours" and other matters.

"Reading Working@Duke or reading websites about other Duke departments and activities gives you a picture of what is available at Duke," she said. 

Stretch beyond your comfort zone 

Judy Hall had a fear of public speaking exacerbated by a medical condition that causes a tremor in her voice. 

"I was less and less likely to speak up in a meeting," said Hall, a technical writer for the Cancer Center.

Hall joined Toastmasters International to overcome that fear, and said the local meetings have given her confidence to explore different speaking techniques. "I am now more likely to speak up when I have something to contribute," she said. "And I've even found I enjoy giving speeches."

Duke sponsors three Toastmasters Clubs: The Blue Devil Club meets at noon the first and third Friday of every month at 705 Broad Street. The Duke Toastmasters Club meets at 7 a.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at the Duke Credit Union Board Room at 2200 W. Main Street in Durham. The PRATTically Speaking Toastmasters Club meets at noon every first and third Tuesday in Hudson Hall on Duke's West Campus. The cost of membership is $36 for six months; each club may have an additional small fee for supplies. 

Expand your network

During her years at Duke, Pam Riley, a member of the Duke Administrative Women's Network, has discovered the power of getting to know people outside of her office. 

"I attend workshops and events and get to know other employees who help me learn how to work within Duke," said Riley, a senior program coordinator for the Duke FOCUS program. "I've called on those connections many times when I needed a helping hand."

The Administrative Women's Network is one of a variety Duke groups established to foster professional development and connections at Duke. Other professional groups include the Duke Research Administrators meetings for employees whose work involves externally funded research projects, monthly WebCom forums for employees interested in web issues, Duke Friends of Nursing, and the DUHS Administrative Professional Committee, among others.