In one generation, the concept of professional development has completely changed. For baby boomers, opportunities for professional growth were almost entirely controlled by the company, or traditional educational institutions. You either went back for an advanced degree, or you waited for your company to provide learning or coaching opportunities.
Now, technology has exponentially increased the number of avenues one can use in their personal career growth—including access to online professional development courses. And with the availability of data regarding utilization, it is even easier to determine the most in-demand skills.
If you are looking to create a personal career plan, consider adding these top 25 professional development courses to your learning goals.
Leadership
Baby boomers are retiring at a tremendous rate, which means Gen-X, Gen-Y and Millennials need to be ready to step up. If you want to be on the fast track to a promotion, make leadership training a focus when choosing your professional development courses.
- Leadership Fundamentals
- Being a Successful Supervisor
- Emotional Intelligence Fundamentals
- Effective Leadership
- Identify Your Communication Style
Customer Service
Creating a fantastic customer experience is critical part of modern business, and it requires all departments to be familiar with quality service techniques. Enhance your people skills and ensure you are a customer service pro with our most popular communication courses.
- 1 to 1: Customer Service Success
- Handling Tough Customers
- Customer Relationship: Build Trust
- Improve Communication by Adapting to Others
- Customer Service: The Telephone Connection
Staying Focused
Multitasking can be dangerous for your performance, stunting emotional intelligence and creativity. Professional development begins with having clear goals and keeping your eye on the ball. These popular courses focus on effective goal-setting, taking responsibility and ensuring you stay at the top of your game.
- 3 Routes To Good Communication
- Goal Setting In the Workplace
- Identifying and Avoiding Burnout
- The Power of One – Taking Accountability to Get Results
- Personal Time Management
Administration
Different careers require different tools, but there are few key tools you’ll most certainly encounter at some point in your professional life—email, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. Here are a few professional development courses that will help you feel confident listing as these tools “Proficient in” when filling in your resume.
- Excel 2010 – Intro
- Excel 2010 – Intermediate
- Outlook 2010
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Level 1
- Email Etiquette
Safety
Whether you’re in an office environment, working a construction site, or transporting chemicals, having a basic understanding of safety will both protect you, as well as make you a valuable employee in the event of an incident.
- Fire Safety: Prevention and Procedure
- Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention
- First Aid
- Back Injury Prevention
- OSHA – Bloodborne Pathogens
You no longer have to wait for learning opportunities to come to you. Take control of your own professional development and your career.