{"id":19258,"date":"2022-09-14T15:56:59","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T19:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/?p=19258"},"modified":"2022-09-14T15:56:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T19:56:59","slug":"the-importance-and-value-of-professional-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/the-importance-and-value-of-professional-training\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance and Value of Professional Training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Importance and Value of Professional Training<\/h1>\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Being prepared, reinventing yourself and adapting to a rapidly changing career landscape is an essential skill for the modern worker. You may have heard about lifelong learning, upskilling, reskilling, professional development, and other related buzz words but how do they relate to your career path? Let\u2019s explore why a personal culture of learning is so important, how to identify reputable training providers and what training options are the best fit for your short and long-term goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/professional_development.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"612\" height=\"306\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/professional_development.jpeg 612w, https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/professional_development-300x150.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/professional_development-600x300.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>The 4 top reasons you should make the investment in lifelong learning:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><em>1.) Increase your career satisfaction<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"><strong><em>:<\/em><\/strong> Those who are actively learning are less dependent upon their job alone for career satisfaction and are therefore more content and energized overall.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><em>2.) Increase your market value<\/em><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"><strong>:\u00a0<\/strong> An employee with additional relevant skills and knowledge is more valuable to the employer and better positioned for career advancement. It also increases your competitive advantage in the job market.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"1\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"><strong>3.) Increase your confidence and professional network:<\/strong> <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">The more you know and become proficient in new skills, knowledge, and technologies, the more confident you will be in your current and future roles. Remember that your professional network is often pivotal to achieving your next role. Take a look at this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mytrak.hireheroesusa.org\/s\/share-media?&vtui__mediaId=a6C4W000000ggr5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Networking Success Guide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><em>4.) Demonstrate your investment in your own career journey:<\/em> <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Employers look for and hire candidates who have shown they want to keep growing and improving their skills through focused and relevant professional development. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Evaluating Training Opportunities<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Most training opportunities have a cost associated and are widely offered by a variety of companies. Identifying quality opportunities that are also ethical is critically important to ensure you maximize your GI Bill benefits and upfront cost. Follow these steps to ensure a high return on investment:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"><em><strong>1.) Identify and focus.<\/strong><\/em> First, identify what training or education will be the most beneficial and supportive of your career goals. Watch this short video on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mytrak.hireheroesusa.org\/s\/share-media?&vtui__mediaId=a6C0z000000Xhgd\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Goal Setting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> to help you get started. Relevance is key to making training work for you. Ask yourself:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Where do you want to be professionally in 5 years, 10 years?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-What do you need to learn to help me achieve that goal?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-What skills, education and certifications are common among job postings that you want for my next career move?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"><strong><em>2.) Know yourself<\/em>.<\/strong> Identifying your strengths, weaknesses, and most effective learning styles will help you determine the best learning environment for your success.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-How have you learned best in the past (reading, listening, kinetic)?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Do you need the interaction dynamics of a classroom where real-time open discussion takes place, or do you prefer to study alone without distractions?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Do you easily comprehend and retain information that you read? Do you prefer to listen to instructions?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Do you have a full schedule and need to learn in short bits of time? <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 300; text-align: left;\" aria-level=\"2\">-Do you need to experience what you are learning by doing (building a project or manipulating physical objects)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><em>3.) Evaluate the quality of training.<\/em> <\/strong>Websites and search engines such as <a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google<\/a>, <a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reddit<\/a>, and <a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursereport.com\/write-a-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Course Report<\/a> are good places to start your research. <a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yelp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yelp<\/a> and <a style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a> reviews can also be helpful.\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Read a few of both the high-end reviews and the low-end reviews.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-Employee reviews on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Indeed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Glassdoor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> can also give insight into the functioning of the organization and how they treat their employees.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong>4.) Some additional tips and tricks for identifying reputable training:<\/strong><\/em>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">-The training opportunities listed on Hire Heroes USA\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/training-partners\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Training Partners<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> page have been vetted for quality and ethical practices. Each partner also provides some means of lowering the cost barrier to training for veterans and military spouses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">&#8211;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Talk with industry professionals about what training they have found beneficial. This can have the added benefit of growing your network. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\">-When you successfully complete a relevant training or certification make sure to include it on your LinkedIn profile and your resume.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Whether upskilling, reskilling, continuing education, or professional development, cultivating a culture of learning and growth will produce valuable results both personally and professionally. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sandy Kaider is the Manager, Referral and Training Partners Program for Hire Heroes USA. If you would like to learn more about Hire Heroes USA\u2019s Training Partners you can visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/training-partners\/\">Training Partners<\/a> page, email specific questions to <a href=\"mailto:trainingprogram@hireheroesusa.org\">trainingprogram@hireheroesusa.org<\/a>, submit an Additional Services request through <a href=\"https:\/\/mytrak.hireheroesusa.org\/\">MyTrak<\/a> or speak to your Transition Specialist.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Importance and Value of Professional Training Being prepared, reinventing yourself and adapting to a rapidly changing career landscape is an essential skill for the modern worker. You may have heard about lifelong learning, upskilling, reskilling, professional development, and other related buzz words but how do they relate to your career path? Let\u2019s explore why [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hireheroesusa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}