How to Keep Up with Professional Development while Working Remotely

Working from home doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice professional development. Here are activities that you can do remotely to help you stay on top of your game and grow as an employee!

• Join online webinars to stay up-to-date within your industry, gain a new expertise, or learn information that will help move your career forward. Many webinars are free and offered daily or weekly. Sign up for webinars held by industry associations and societies, trade publications or business-oriented online influencers to gain new perspective and use your at-home time wisely.
• Add online classes into your routine! There are countless online sources to help you nail a specific skill and implement what you learn into your current work. Working from home gives you the flexibility to take time to learn at your own pace, when it works for you. Classes for writing, graphic design, education, and more are great ways to stay busy. Try LinkedIn Learning Courses or Coursera for an inexpensive and wide variety of options.
• Stay on top of trends and read up on current events. Take a look at social media throughout the day and watch the news during off hours to remain in touch with the outside world. Reconnect with business publications that you may not usually have time to read. Staying up-to-date will help drive creative ideas and problem solve at a high level.
• Lead company “lunch and learns,” but take it virtual! Many companies offer “lunch and learn” sessions to discuss and provide tips on various topics relevant to your business. Take the lead on hosting these sessions while everyone is working remotely – choose the topic (even something straightforward like tips for working from home), schedule the video conference and moderate the meeting! This will encourage participation across your team and show that you are propelling your professional development forward, even while in isolation.