Professional development is an important aspect of your career for advancement and growing as a person. However, it’s often overlooked as we enter the workforce. We finish school, get a job and then we keep our head down in our jobs. This recession has compounded that effect.

We’ve talked about the importance of networking and why you need to refine your skills. I’d argue that growing as a person and honing your skills in your job and industry is the other half of the coin in building a successful career. Professional development can come in many forms:

Mentoring: Finding someone in your industry that you look up to and can help you by sharing advice related to your career and even life.

Continuing Education: Taking more classes at college or university. Also many industry associations offer classes you can take.

Informal Events/Conferences: Attending an event can be a great way to hone your skills and learn from experienced practitioners.

Consultation: Offering your knowledge to a non-profit can allow you to test out ideas on a small scale and hone your research skills as you help them achieve their objectives.

The above list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to honing your skills and staying up to date on the latest industry knowledge. Why not put your knowledge of networking to use and start focusing on your professional development this summer.

We’ve got an offer from the eat:Strategy Conference that’s open to our members and readers. The conference is coming-up on July 18th. It’s an event packed with industry insiders and great companies including MediaCom, BMO, Networked Insights and Odopod from San Francisco and more.

SPECIAL OFFER: You can use the discount code “Vestiigo” in order to get 10% off regular priced tickets.