Personal Growth and Development

At Evalcorp, we are all huge proponents of investing time for personal growth and professional development. It doesn't matter if you're just starting out in your career or are a seasoned veteran, there are always new things to learn and new skills to pick up.

 

Whether you have five months or five minutes, below are some some ideas and resources to help you satisfy your professional growth need:

 Attend a professional conference: Conferences are not only great for learning about the cutting-edge research in your field; they’re also great for networking. Check out the Events section on our homepage for a list of professional conferences in your field.

Participate in webinars and online workshops: The Community Prevention Initiative (CPI) offers a variety of online webinars specifically for the prevention field (http://www.ca-cpi.org/main.php). Many professional conferences also stream workshops and sessions online so that you can participate even if you can’t travel to the conference. Search for webcasts of lectures and events on the conference homepage.

 Take a short class at a community college: Many community colleges offer a wide range of one-day community services classes. The topics range from financial planning, marketing, how to attract talented employees, computer skills, etc. Check out the community services program at your local community college for more information.

Watch a TED Talk: TED Talks are short and engaging presentations on a variety of topics that are delivered by experts for lay audiences. Visit TED Ideas in Business (https://www.ted.com/topics/business) for a list of presentations that are specifically geared for professional development. These presentations are an especially great resource for those who are short on time. They’re also free!

Follow a blog and social media: Blogs and other forms of social media can be great sources for quick tips and tricks on specific topics. There are lots of professional development blogs that offer daily, weekly, or monthly tips for growth. We’re a big fan of Stephanie Evergreen's data blog (http://stephanieevergreen.com/category/blog/). The American Evaluation Association also posts great tips on their Facebook page.