CPD: invest in yourself
“I’ve completed my CPD for the year!” I exclaimed to my colleagues, only a few months after the annual process had started. As I told more people at local CIPR events, I was always greeted with the same remark: “How have you managed to complete the 60 points already?!”
I believe this is really helped because of where I work. I’m lucky enough to be part of a well-known PR agency in Suffolk, where our individual CPD is at the heart of the culture, and an internal training programme is run to complement our individual learning.
As CIPR members, we know that the continued professional development (CPD) programme is a core expectation for all PR professionals, and that CPD must be completed each year to keep your accredited status.
Many leading membership organisations have a CPD within their field, and the CIPR has one as a key route to professionalism. From my few years of involvement, it strongly shows proactivity in keeping up to date in an industry that never stands still, and this continued learning benefits not just you personally and professionally, but also your company, colleagues and our wider profession.
There are ten ways I feel I benefit from completing CPD each year and why everyone should consider becoming accredited:
- Status - being an Accredited PR professional
- Individual learning
- Continually develop skills
- More knowledge
- Team development
- Benefits clients - ideas and solutions
- Benefits my future career
- Motivating for my professional and personal development
- Interested and interesting learning materials
- Self-satisfaction and high achievement
All of these fit into my idea of professionalism and why completing CPD is so important to me, in and out of work.
Personally it is a great achievement to have and the learning materials are interesting and easy to digest. I am always curious and there is always so much everyone can learn. To not want to learn new skills means you stand still, you never open your mind. That keeps me motivated and shows my network and peers that I am keen to learn.
CPD not only benefits my personal development - with a massive back catalogue of webinars, white papers, podcasts and more, at my disposal so I am always learning - but it benefits the company I work for and my clients.
Professionally it highlights that you know what is happening around you. You are taken more seriously and you are able to better serve your clients with your continued knowledge.
Our profession never stands still, so it's vital you don't miss out. You are able to stay on top of the changing industry CPD puts me in the driving seat of my career. It maps my journey and gives me the knowledge and skills I need to progress.
As the time to complete this year’s CPD draws closer, (29th February) I hope that that I’ve interested/reminded some of you to put in the time and invest in yourself.