CPD, an increasingly vital tool for professional recognition

By now you have probably come across the term Continuing Professional Development, or CPD. However, despite its ever-increasing popularity as a reliable tool for professional recognition and evaluation in today’s competitive workplace, many professionals are still unaware of what exactly CPD is, let alone the huge impact it could have on their professional journeys. 

Let’s say you have just landed that once-in-a-lifetime position you were chasing after. The interviewing process was rigorous, and you fought off stiff competition to achieve your ambition. What now? 

If you think that this might be the moment to kick back and bask in your success, beware! The world of skills development and best practice processes is a fast-paced one, always shifting and evolving with the times. Before you know it, you might find that the skillset which won you your position has become outdated once you fell out of line with new technologies and approaches, and those candidates you once competed against are now enticing employers and getting bigger and better job placements with the accredited skills they have accrued through CPD.

By improving themselves through CPD and continuing to learn new skills, procedures and techniques, professionals will display their true value to their employers and demonstrate their willingness and ability to deliver new improved processes to their organisations. The optimized performance of employees who undertake CPD is often reflected through their performance appraisals, leading to heightened recognition and reward. 

What does CPD entail?

Put simply, CPD represents all the extra learning that professionals engage in, guaranteeing that they remain knowledgeable and able to advance in their fields. By participating in CPD, you will not only be able to advance in your own job – you will be equipped with the tools and skills you need to remain relevant and competitive in your professional sector or industry and continue to evolve with your career. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the job market, choosing the right sort of CPD will enable you to strategise about the sorts of changes you would like to make in your career trajectory and succeed in your chosen field with flexibility and confidence.

The benefits of CPD for professionals include that they do not miss out on evolving trends, keep their knowledge base up to date, stay engaged and productive, access and make the most out of new opportunities, perform better in their existing roles, advance the knowledge base within their profession, and generate new interest in developing areas of knowledge.

With CPD, professionals do not only get to demonstrate their own initiative and commitment to bettering themselves to prospective employers, but they can also dictate the form and delivery methodology of their training (whether across workshops, conferences, online courses, or e-learning), enabling them to be much more proactive and strategic in their decision making. 

By focusing on such considerations as bridging existing skills gap and preparing for the skills of the future, you can keep your credentials current and get ready to take your professional development to the next level in a rapidly changing world. 

Find out more about logging Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points with MyAxelos.