Tips for Leveraging Professional Development Opportunities to Find Fresh Insight, Smart Ideas & Career Confidence 

I never thought that one of the best compliments I would receive during my professional career (so far) would be, “No one even looked at their phones while you were presenting!” But it absolutely was. The world in which we now live sometimes makes us incredibly impatient, and the fact that I had managed to capture my coworkers’ rapt attention for thirty minutes made me grin from ear to ear.

My colleague said these kind words to me following the report I had given, about my weeklong experience at the 2015 South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, to him and about twenty others. It was my first day back from Austin, and I was still riding high on inspiration. Sure, the content is what kept people engaged, but the fact as well that I was lucky enough to have experienced all the glories of SXSW was pretty amazing. And that excitement transferred to the presentation, and evidently, to my coworkers.

It’s quite empowering to be one of the youngest employees in the room, and be able to showcase the knowledge I had gathered.

But how did I get there? And, more importantly, what had I learned about the fact that my going to SXSW happened only because I had sought out a distinctly non-run-of-the-mill career opportunity?

The Road to Austin

In January 2015, my supervisor encouraged our staff to seek out professional development opportunities, something that our communications unit at Michigan State University has fortunately always given priority.

After combing through lists of conferences that catered to higher education communication professionals, I came up disappointed. Nothing looked exciting or forward-thinking enough to invest time and money. But then I recalled that my friend Katie had mentioned she was heading to SXSW in March, and I decided to give it a closer look.

I checked out the SXSW Interactive agenda (which included everything from food and tech to branding and design — and everything in between). This was the conference, so I put together an email to pitch the idea to my supervisor. I highlighted sessions that I knew aligned with the direction our department wanted to go, and included a budget for the trip; the dates I would be out of the office; and an outline of how my work responsibilities could be covered while I was away.

Once my supervisor approved, I realized this would be a tremendous opportunity to prove my worth as an employee. In essence, I would be the embedded journalist responsible for soaking up as much information to bring back to my department as I could. I didn’t take this responsibility lightly.

Texas Turning Point

I wanted to do my first SXSW “the right away,” and get the most out of the experience to prove the investment was worth it.  For those who have been to SXSW, you know just how much is there; for those of you who haven’t been, think of a massive frozen yogurt-topping area, and you’re tasked with trying to make a choice when everything looks like it could be the best thing. It’s difficult!

After getting burned-out the first two days in Austin, trying to do it all, I took a slightly different approach on the third day. I attended two sessions on topics that didn’t directly relate to my profession, but personally interested me. They were food-related, and they were amazing.

That’s when it clicked: “Professional Development” is only effective when the person experiencing it is receptive to the information. And to be receptive, you need to be inspired on a personal level. When these two run in tandem, growth and change are inevitable. While I went to Austin for professional reasons, I found myself growing personally, too, even in a couple of days. I knew I’d be a better, more effective employee because of it. I was already thinking of different ways to approach projects and new ways to solve problems back at the office.

Had I not looked past the worlds of higher education, communication and traditional conferences, and not allowed myself to venture beyond the confines of communications sessions, I wouldn’t have returned to East Lansing as motivated as I did.

Helpful Hints

Here are some tips in finding and making the most of professional/personal development opportunities:

• Be open-minded. When beginning your search, cast a wide net. When I first started looking at conferences, I had too narrow a focus. I was homing in on communications-related events, but was limiting my scope of what was out there.
• Gain support. In order to gain support (particularly financial support) from your organization, it’s important to show how an event will be beneficial not only to you, but to that organization itself. How will the skills/insights/experience you gain from the opportunity help your company?  It’s as simple as that.
• Ask! You’ll never reap the benefits of professional development if you never ask to go. The absolute worst your boss can say is no – and if they do, it’s probably not a permanent no. There may be current projects or budget constraints preventing you from going. Ask again in a new fiscal year, or after a big project is done.
• Get creative. SXSW is amazing, but it’s quite an investment. Thankfully, it’s not the only place to get inspired! Here are some low-cost (many are free) opportunities:

1. 1. • • Enroll in your organization’s human resource classes
        • Check out your local community’s enrichment classes
        • Sign up for photography or cooking classes (or any other kind of hobby that could unleash your creativity)
        • Volunteer
        • Mentor younger employees or students
        • Look into the programming your local alumni club offers
        • Attend free lecture/talks at the local college/university
        • Keep a journal
        • Take advantage of leadership roles at work
        • Seek out “lunch ‘n’ learns’ offered at your organization or in your community
        • Join a book club or start one in your office
        • Sign up for webinars or online courses
        • Watch videos online designed to spark imagination, such as TED Talks.

• Share, and say thanks. No matter what kind of event you attend, be sure to report back to your group. Knowledge is meant to be shared! And remember to thank your supervisors who gave you the green light to go, and coworkers who backed you up while  you were away.

Oftentimes, it’s hard to get noticed on a regular basis as a young professional woman (for a variety of reasons), but no one can deny or overlook fresh insight, smart ideas and the confidence that comes from newly-acquired knowledge and expertise.

Remember my coworker? Later that same afternoon, he sent me an email saying: “Your summary inspired people to go find good conferences to attend.” OK, so maybe that’s the best compliment I’ve received so far in my career!

Written by:  Jennifer Orlando, Communications Manager at Michigan State University