Why you should invest in your professional development (when your company won’t)

Frustrated that your current employer won’t fund or facilitate your professional development? It can feel very counterproductive, given the benefits your upskilling could bring to the business. 

You’re not alone…. a quick search brings thousands of results, all offering tips and tricks on how to convince your employer to come to the party.

However, in a world where many businesses are being impacted by rising costs of materials, shortages, and the great resignation, it’s easy to understand why some are hesitant to invest.

This article will highlight reasons to consider funding your own professional development.

Why is professional development important?

Keeping up-to-date with the evolution of your chosen industry has always been crucial to your value in and ability to perform your role. With rapid changes in compliance, technology, environment, and cultural attitudes, it’s never been more important to ensure you’re upskilling and adding continued value to your workplace.

Having the knowledge and fresh perspective to help your company pivot amongst recent complications with production, material shortages, and shipping is likely to be appreciated by your manager as well.

Who benefits from professional development?

Your professional development doesn’t just support the organisation. There are obviously personal benefits as well, including the:

• ability to perform more efficiently
• opportunity to position yourself as an informed leader
• chance to demonstrate professionalism and commitment

All of the above could lead to pay increases, promotions, and general career advancement.

Increasing your earning potential

When a business is investing in anything, including professional development, it’s important to do your due diligence on the financial returns. In most cases, increasing your value in your role pays dividends. 

Showing you’re prepared to invest in your career is a great bargaining tool when negotiating potential salary increases and promotions. If your company recognises this and rewards your commitment, then your investment was worth it. If they don’t, that can be valuable in itself, as an indicator of future growth potential within the business. This is the type of information that can help you decide on your next career steps.

Lastly, being able to demonstrate you’re prepared to invest in your career development makes you an attractive hire to future employers - should you choose to head in that direction. CGC Recruitment is here for you when the time comes.

In Summary

Professional development is a personal responsibility. Sometimes, you simply can’t rely on your employer to provide the upskilling opportunities.

Regardless of whether your company is willing to fund your career progression or not, we all have a responsibility to keep up-to-date with the industries we specialise in. From a safety, compliance, and innovation perspective, knowing what’s happening is an integral part of the job role.

However, professional development isn’t just about compliance. There are a lot of things happening in the world of construction and engineering. Automation is changing the face of many sites, IOT is reimagining how we use our time, and the push for greener building practices means new and interesting materials are being developed and launched every day.

During these ever-changing times, it’s vital to keep moving forward with the industry - rather than being left behind.

About CGC Recruitment

CGC Recruitment is a specialist construction, infrastructure, engineering, and architecture recruitment consultancy. We view our clients as our partners and work closely with them to meet their business needs. We work with some of Australia’s largest construction brands through to specialist SMEs and boutique consultants. We have proven experience delivering permanent, contract and retained recruitment solutions, consistently providing the right candidates for the right roles at the right time.

If you have an active role you’d like to discuss or just want to talk to a specialist consultant, please contact us. Alternatively, you can complete our  online client form and a member of our team will contact you.