I wanted to reach out to you today to encourage you to create a professional development plan or use milestones as a good opportunity to revise your exciting professional development plan.
I know that in the civil construction field that after a 50+ hour work week it’s hard to imagine putting extra time into your career, but you might be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just 1 to 3 hours per week.
But it all starts with a plan, which I recommend you put down on paper. I suggest that you list at least three to five main goals (even ones that you might not accomplish in the next year) and start breaking them down into smaller, more achievable task or goals.
Give yourself some deadlines to help motivate you to stay on track and get them accomplished, even if you need to postpone and change the deadlines.
A simple, easy to use, and free Project Management board like Trello might help in keeping track of these tasks and your accomplishments.
So, what do these goals look like for you? A degree or graduate degree? Those may take years, but are certainly achievable and can be a major boost to your career.
Perhaps it’s racking up some safety certifications, or working on an ASP or CSP. Perhaps it is getting certified by the DBIA or getting a PMP certification. Many employers in the industry specifically seek out people with a PE, if getting one is beneficial to your desired career path, I highly recommend taking steps to get one.
Are you at a loss for what direction you want to go? Think about those that you respect or envy most in the industry and review their accomplishments. Often it is as easy as looking at their LinkedIn Profile.
Better yet, take on a Mentor and seek their guidance.
We will get more into Mentorships in our next video.
